Video Encoding On AWS

Kevin McEnteeVP Systems Engineering

Netflix Encoding• Weak Standards

– Codec• VC-1, H.264

– File format– File format• Mpeg4 + extensions

– DRM• WM/DRM, AACS

Broad Collection Movies & TV

• 19 source formatsformats

• 17,000 files

• 80 TB

Broad Collection Of Players

Computer Game Platforms

Consumer Electronics

Success Without Standards

5 Formats

500k1000k

1600k

Legacy VC-1

500k1000k

1500k

500k1000k

1500k

500k1000k

1500k

CE1.0 CE2.0 PS3

380k560k

1050k

AWS

1600k

2200k

3400k

4400k

5500k

1500k

2600k

3800k

1500k

2600k

3800k

1500k

2600k

3800k

2000k 2000k2000k

1050k

2350k

3600k

1750k

Data Center Encoding

Requirements

August Sept Oct NovR&D Encoding Launch!

• Stable encoding tools• Stable input formats• Stable output

requirements• Reliable equipment

Netflix Confidential7

Launch!

Data Center Encoding

Requirements

August Sept Oct NovR&D

Reality

Encoding

• Stable encoding tools• Stable input formats• Stable output

requirements• Reliable equipment

Netflix Confidential8

• Don’t exist• 19 formats from studios• Late video player

development• Smoking mother boards

PS3 Challenge• 17,000 Movies & TV Shows

– 80 terabytes

• 6 video bit rates + 1 audio bit rate– 55 terabytes– 55 terabytes

• Late cycle R&D integration• Great user experience• 100% complete for launch date

Netflix Confidential9

Adaptive Streaming

Begin Playback

Step Up

Highest Possible

PS3 EncodeEmployee

Beta Begins

July August

Encoding250 EC2

Sept Oct

R&D

Nov

PS3 Encode

Encoding1200 EC2

EmployeeBeta Begins

July August Sept Oct

R&D

Nov

PS3 Encoding Workflow

File FormattersIntermediate Stream

80 TBS3

55 TBS3

EC2

AWS Import/Export

PS3 Encoding Workflow

File FormattersIntermediate Stream

80 TBS3

Intermediate

S3

AWS Import/Export

EC2

55 TBS3

AWS Import/Export

Encoding Success• Flexibility

– EC2 elasticity preserved launch schedule– S3 easy and powerful– AWS Import/Export is easy– AWS Import/Export is easy

• Low operations complexity– Provisioning and running data centers is

not core to Netflix

Netflix Confidential15