Index:

1. Introduction to the History of Netflix
2. Netflix’s Subscription-based Business Model
3. Competition with Blockbuster
4. Netflix launches Streaming Video on Demand
5. Partnership with Hardware Platforms
6. Shift to the cloud
7. First Major Content Licensing Deal
8. Netflix and the Culture of Binge Watching
9. Original Programming
10. Separating DVD and Streaming Video
11. Domestic Growth in US and International Expansion
12. Conclusion: From Dot Com Bubble to Baring its FANGs

How did Netflix Start?

History of Netflix

In this first edition of our multi-part blog series on the streaming video giant, we take you back to the history of Netflix & how Netflix has evolved over the two decades of its existence. Netflix started as a personalized web-based movie recommendation and rental system, transforming over the years into a streaming video giant. The management’s commitment to digital content has enabled Netflix to emerge as the biggest name in the streaming video industry, and more importantly, to stay at the top of its game as it expands globally and seeks to capture increasing audiences internationally.

Founded in 1998 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, the history of Netflix’s founding must be situated amidst the dot com bubble. This was a time when online businesses would sell consumer goods directly via their dot com domains. Amidst the excitement around internet-enabled delivery of services and goods, companies like Pets.com, WebVan and Kozmo.com offering to sell goods directly to consumers raised funding from venture capital firms. However owing to flawed business models which meant losses at each sale, these companies burned cash from the outset. The dot com bubble crashed in due time.

In September 1999 Reed Hastings implemented a subscription-based business model. Netflix, although unprofitable until the mid-2000s, survived the dot com bubble. The company offered DVDs via US Postal Service, and had put up their catalogue online. Relying on US Postal Service’s delivery meant that Netflix could focus on their core offerings of a curated and personalised catalogue.

Netflix’s unique offering was its web-based catalogue of films. Instead of having storefronts, the primary means by which customers could access the catalogue was online. This meant that every user in every part of the country could have access to the full library that Netflix possessed, rather than being limited to the titles the nearest stores carried. This also meant that users could shop around for the films they wanted to watch in the leisure of their homes.

Netflix’s Subscription-based Business Model

The company at the time struggled with two fundamental problems in their business model. One was that because the DVD was sent via mail, it would take anything between one day to 4 days for the shipment to reach the subscriber. Even though people were likely to try Netflix, conversion to repeat rentals was low. Secondly, people would far more inclined to rent out the latest releases. For the company to break even on the cost of purchasing a DVD to rent-out, they would have to generate 15-20 rentals for each DVD.

Two of the most important elements in the history of Netflix business model emerged out of their responses to the problems. The company shifted to a recurring-revenue model – the subscription model – which improved second-time movie rental rates considerable. Customers were locked in to the platform, and was therefore much more likely to try rentals again. The company also created a queue, one in which users would select the movies they would like to watch next. This speeded up the process for subscribers to receive another DVD once they returned their first one. This also eliminated the point of late fees charges – the motivation for returning DVDs was to get another DVD to watch by mail. Netflix business model of subscriptions was a response to the problem of retaining customers.

Secondly, to enable maximum utilisation of their DVD content catalogue, the company created their movie recommendation system. Through Cinematch, Netflix would recommend shows for their subscribers to watch. The point for this was to alleviate pressure for DVD rentals away from new releases, to a more uniform renting out of their content library. This solution has over the years become considerably sophisticated, and drives how customers experience Netflix and how the company makes decisions when acquiring new content.

Netflix’s response to these problems was reflective of how the management was focused on building a sustainable business model, as opposed to growing up too fast. Instead of focusing on building a huge content library the company instead optimised their DVD-on-mail solution for their existing library. This business decision was what helped the company survive the crash that followed the dot com bubble.

Barry McCarthy, CFO of Netflix from inception till 2010, spoke to the Unofficial Stanford Blog on Reed Hasting’s idea of the subscriber-based model in an industry where video rentals were centered around retail stores:

“It was Reed’s insight that the subscription model would resonate with consumers in a compelling way. He re-engineered the Web site and software to support a subscription model…we began to grow exponentially overnight. In 1998, I think the business did $1 million in revenue. In 1999, we did $5 million, then $35 million and then $75 million and $150 million and then almost $300 million…We were I think five years to $500 million and another three years to a $1 billion, all because of the subscription model.”

Netlfix’s business model of subscriptions was strengthened in February 2000 when Netflix started their Unlimited Movie Rental programme. This ‘All-You-Can-Watch’ subscription model, at a fee of $19.95 per month, offered customers unlimited movie rentals in a month, receiving upto 4 DVDs at a time. With a view towards maintain subscriber goodwill and loyalty, the company eliminated all per-movie, shipping and late-fee charges. Netflix, under the direction of technical head Neil Hunt, had by then also implemented their content recommendation system – Cinematch.

Netflix’s content curation was headed by Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer. Sarandos joined in 2000, and had prior experience in movie and television distribution. He has managed Netflix’s content offerings over the years, initially curating and providing inputs for the movie recommendation system, and is now a major cog in the wheel of the to the company’s original content – Netflix Originals – initiative.

History of Netflix: Competition with Blockbuster

In the history of Netflix, it’s business model and vision in the movie-rental industry was considerably different from that of their chief competitor – Blockbuster. The chief of retail video rental chain Blockbuster, John Antioco, on the other hand believed that video rental was a much more spontaneous process, and that receiving copies in-store and watching immediately was preferred by customers over waiting for days for the DVD on mail.

Amidst this new rental programme, Netflix was losing money. Reed Hastings met with Blockbuster CEO John Antioco in Dallas, proposing to sell a 49% stake in Netflix to Blockbuster for $50 million and in exchange for running Blockbuster’s brand online – Blockbuster.com, while complementing Blockbuster’s offline DVD rental business. However Blockbuster passed on the deal, believing that Netflix, which was not profitable at the time, did not add value to their own business. It was this inability to see the long-term view, which Netflix was committed to, that led to the contrasting fortunes the two companies faced.

Netflix presented a considerable disruption to the business model of retail video rental chains. DVDs would be sent through the US Postal Service. Unlike Blockbuster for which late-fee was often a significant portion of its revenues, Netflix completely eliminated the late fee, with the incentive for returning for the customer being access to another DVD. Netflix’s products key differences were their lack of stores, instead mailing DVDs ordered online, and secondly not charging late fees. It was Blockbuster’s inability to compete with Netflix on these two counts that ensured that the upstart beat the established company in the home-entertainment ecosystem.

Netflix offered their initial public offering (IPO) on March 24, 2002, bringing in $82.5 million. At the time the company was not profitable, making a loss of $4 million on $30.5 million of revenues. This was, however, an improvement over the history of Netflix compared to previous years figures of loss of $38.6 million on revenues of $75.9 million.

In 2004 Blockbuster finally entered into the online DVD rental space. They also removed their late fees charges. However these two changes increased costs and reduced revenues, leading to activist shareholders led by Carl Icahn pressuring the CEO against the strategy. Blockbuster’s online initiative lost momentum and the late-fees was reinstated.

Blockbuster’s growth came and market dominance came about in a period when 80% of the company’s shares were held by Viacom. In 2004 Blockbuster decided to make an outlay of $200 million on Blockbuster online, and waived their late-fees charges which would have led to revenue decline of about $200 more. However Viacom exited the company when this strategy was adopted, believing the new path as not being aligned to its own vision. The challenge that the market dominating company was facing was being unable to reinvent its business model in the face of technological shifts.

The agile startup Netflix on the other hand continued its growth, achieving growths in both revenues and subscribers, until finally in the 2010s the company expanded exponentially as streaming video technologies matured. John Antioco and executives at Blockbuster on the other hand faced resistance from the new shareholders after Viacom’s exit, who pressured the board to reinstate the late fees and drive down investment in the online business. It was the late entry to the online business, as well as the inability to get the backing of shareholders to implement a top-gear strategy for online video, that ultimately led to Blockbuster’s failure in the face of technological shifts.  

Netflix launches Video on Demand

Netflix put further pressure on competition when they announced the launch of their streaming service in January 2007, as Watch Now. At the time the streaming service was expected to be of use only for power users with broadband internet connections, which were not all that common at the time. Users were required to have a 1 mbps internet connection to be able to stream movies, with a 3mbps connection required for streaming DVD-quality films. Subscribers under the $17.99 plan had access to 18 hours of streaming content. Video delivery was through a special browser applet that subscribers would have to install. By 2008 however Netflix had given access to unlimited video streaming for subscribers to its biggest plan .

“We named our company Netflix in 1998 because we believed Internet-based movie rental represented the future, first as a means of improving service and selection, and then as a means of movie delivery,” CEO Reed Hastings said at the time, “While mainstream consumer adoption of online movie watching will take a number of years due to content and technology hurdles, the time is right for Netflix to take the first step.”

About 1,000 titles were available for streaming online, as opposed to 70,000 that Netflix offered in its DVD mail-to-order business. Although digital delivery was part of Reed Hastings’ strategy from inception, at the time of its launch the streaming service was provided as an add-on to the DVD subscriptions business. The primary motivation at the time was to slow down user churn. Q4 2006 results showed a net margin of 4.9%, with a net income of $12.7 million on $255 million of revenues compared to the history of Netflix. Although it needed to improve its margins, the company had also been seeing subscriber churn of more than 4% each quarter.

Helped by the launch of streaming video, 2007 was the first time in the history of Netflix that it generated upwards of $1 Billion in revenue. Over that year the company’s subscriber base grew 18%, revenues were up by 21% and net income was up by 36%, compared to the 2006 figures. The rise in revenue offset the increased costs from the online video initiative and strong competition helping the company generate higher profits.

Netflix’s approach to starting its streaming video service was a gradual process. Launched in January 2007, the company did not roll out its services for all its users at once, instead gradually scaling up the service offerings, completing it for all customers in June 2007. In hindsight, seeing Netflix’s experimentation with its video delivery infrastructure in terms of optimising for the cloud, this slow and steady approach definitely makes a lot more sense than offering a full fledged streaming service and then dealing with downtime and error rates.

Prioritising building a robust technical infrastructure has helped Netflix keep their first-mover advantage. Oftentimes the first-mover advantage is squandered by technology companies who have to make way for businesses that solve the problem more efficiently. Netflix, however, by relying on a solid content and technical team, has managed to keep its competitive advantage since the launch of its streaming video service.

Netflix uses DRM encryption to protect its content, NetFlix DRM is one of the most secured anti-piracy solutions for premium videos.

In terms of video codecs, H.264 high profile and VP9 are the current Netflix codec, used by them to reach to a large number of users for a smooth streaming experience.

Partnership with Hardware Platforms

As the company started working towards building a streaming video solution, they also started to develop solutions for streaming video through hardware platforms. In 2004/05 the company was considering working with contract manufacturers on DVD disc drives with a video processor, which could download video content over the internet, and then stream it on TV. This model was similar to TiVo, which enabled TV owners to record TV shows on a disc. This was however shelved as competition with Blockbuster intensified and Netflix had to put resources into engaging in a pricing war with the market leader.

In 2008 Netflix began work on a device for streaming videos. Netflix started to work on developing a video player to connect to television, through which streaming video can be played over the internet. However Reed Hastings was concerned that potential partnerships with consumer electronic platforms would be negatively impacted by having their own platform. Roku was subsequently spun out as a separate company.  

For much history of Netflix has had to face questions from cable TV providers whose content it would license, movie studios for movie licensing, as it presented a competition to their respective business models. Being perceived as a threat by the device manufacturers with which it was seeking to partner in the early stages of its streaming video business would hardly have severely limited its growth options. For this reason Netflix decided to spin out the Netflix Player team as a separate company.  

Netflix subsequently partnered with Microsoft for developing a streaming video app for their gaming console. They also later worked with Sony Playstation, developing

Shortly after the launch of Roku, Netflix announced partnership with Microsoft. As part of the partnership Netflix developed a native app for the game console Microsoft XBox 360. This gave access to XBox Live Gold Members access to Netflix on their television via their game console. For Netflix it meant that the market of 12 million XBox Live members was opened up, whereas for Microsoft could market their XBox for the million Netflix subscribers. The deal required Netflix to maintain the streaming video technology exclusively to XBox for an year. Subsequent to that Netflix would develop a Blu-ray disk based streaming video solution for Sony’s Playstation. The company would later go on to generalize the software platform they developed for DVD players to enable Netflix integration via Software Development Kits (SDKs). This also meant that as Smart TVs emerged and prevalence of streaming video over the internet developed over the years, Netflix was essentially prepared and could offer easy integrations.

History of Netflix: Shift to the Cloud

In August 2008 Netflix experienced a major database corruption, and could not ship out their DVDs for three days. This was the stimulus that led to Netflix opting to host their business logic on the cloud. This cloud migration would take place for the main part in the period of 2010-2011, and would only be completed in 2015, when the company finally setup its billing infrastructure, the most sensitive part of its business operation, on the cloud. The complete shift to the cloud was a pathbreaker in the tech industry. Throughout the history Netflix, it has built a highly robust cloud infrastructure, which has enabled the company to scale up seamlessly as it has seen exponential growth and as it has expanded to 190+ countries.

First Major Content Licensing Deal

The history of Netflix saw a major change when in 2008 it  agreed a deal with Cable TV channel Starz to broadcast their content library for $30 million annually. Starz’s library of 2500 movies and TV shows, including movies Disney and Sony Pictures, became available for streaming on Netflix. The deal was a hugely important step in the history of Netflix, as its streaming video service could now offer a wide range of quality content to their video streaming subscribers. Starz on the other hand, probably expecting the streaming video industry to remain a niche segment, did not expect the deal to cannibalize their own PayTV offerings.

In 2011 Starz stopped its content licensing deal with Netflix, even after Netflix offers $300 million for licensing Starz’s library. Starz CEO went on record saying that he considered the deal a terrible mistake for Starz.

History of Netflix and the Culture of Binge Watching

Netflix soon started entering into content licensing deals with television studios. For television studios the income from Netflix’s streaming videos supplemented other geographical licensing deals. Television studios only make episodes of previous seasons available, in the belief that showing the episodes from the last aired/ currently airing season would through online video streaming services would lead to them losing users from the cable platforms, who were the primary monetisation channel for television studios. Netflix would later turn this monetisation scheme on its head when they started licensing original content, becoming a major revenue channel for television studios in their own right.

As more people began tuning into Netflix, content providers found that Netflix helped build audiences for their shows. Cable networks making past seasons and episodes of their television series available on Netflix enabled content discovery. Customers discovering quality cable content on Netflix helped would later tune into the currently airing episodes of the series. This helped boost ratings for television shows such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men, both produced by AMC. Ratings for Season 5 of Breaking Bad were more than double those of Season 1, and many times the ratings of Season 1, largely helped by the audience that Netflix generated for AMC. Netflix helped users catch up to currently broadcasting series, and enabled networks to focus on creating quality content with the knowledge that even a small initial following would convert soon enough to larger audiences.

Shortly before the final season of Breaking Bad aired, the shows’s creator Vince Gilligan reiterated his belief that Netflix helped generate an audience for the show: “Under the old paradigm – using the old technology of simply having first runs and then reruns on networks – I don’t know that we would’ve reached the critical mass that we reached.”

For television studios, apart from the first run of the series on television, revenues are generated from syndicating TV series to other networks after the end of the season or the series. In this environment Netflix comes in as an added source of revenue for TV studios, besides, as seen in the case of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, Netflix has also enabled broader audiences for quality content through what is labelled as “catch-up TV”.

One of the major issues for Netflix has been credential sharing, where users share their passwords with each other. Recently Netflix has been slowly rolling out a feature to tackle this. In Netflix password sharing crackdown, it has started to prompt messages to some users that it suspects are accessing or streaming on borrowed accounts

History of Netflix: Original Programming

In 2011, initiating its strategy to differentiate itself from other services. Netflix started outlaying budget for original programming, with their first original series House of Cards premiering in 2013. Netflix Originals became a critical component of the Netflix Business Model. The original content initiative would enable the company to become less dependent on movie and television studios, giving it leverage over its supply chain of content providers, while helping build a loyal audience. Netflix’s original initiatives would be copied by other OTT providers as well, with companies like Amazon Prime Instant Video and India based Hotstar all investing on originals to broaden their appeal.

Netflix’s decision as to which television shows to license is designed by their content recommendation systems. Their analytics team takes in various factors, including the popularity of the genre, how popular an actor/ director is, and even computing responses to similar content. Because Netflix’s business model does not rely on immediate ticket sales the criteria for a successful series is determined by whether the subscribers on Netflix platform watch the series, and whether the series can inspire a loyal following. The company’s first original license was for House of Cards. The story goes that Netflix ran data on the number of people who rented out the DVD for the UK Television series House of Cards and who watched political dramas such as The West Wing. They likewise computed the numbers who’d shown preference for the films of David Fincher, and who liked Kevin Spacey films.

After finding that a significant percentage of their subscribers are likely to watch such a show, Netflix commissioned two seasons of the series, at a total cost of $100 million. This gamble was spearheaded by content head Ted Sarandos, whose reasoning was that the network effects of Netflix would generate sufficient publicity and viewing figures if the show generated even a small loyal following. The idea of creating content for different interest groups, where interest is defined in a much broader and cross-category way, is what drives Netflix’s content strategy.

The company entered into a six-film deal with Adam Sandler in 2015. The first film under the deal, The Ridiculuous 8 received generally scathing reviews, and yet Sarandos contends that the film is valuable for Netflix’s subscribers as a large number of people are watching it on their platform. The streaming video provider has definitely seen some failures in recent years – Marco Polo and Get Down being two prominent series that could not achieve a critical mass of followers, and therefore being cancelled. The original content strategy is also important for the company as it expands globally, and as it seeks to penetrate international markets it needs to market content suitable for local tastes.

Spinning out DVD and Online Streaming

In 2011, in a move aimed at generating revenues for further investment into their video catalog, Netflix made major changes to their business model. The company separated memberships for DVD rental and online streaming businesses, getting users to buy different subscriptions. Buying both subscriptions would increase the cost for customer by $6 per month, from $10 for the single membership which included both DVD-on-mail and Streaming video, to $8 each for the two services. Netflix also proposed spinning off the DVD business as a separate entity named Qwikster. As a result of this abrupt price hike, 800,000 left the service, forcing Netflix to partially reverse the decision.

Although the price hike remained, Netflix did not spin off the DVD company as a separate entity. Reed Hastings reiterated his belief that the future of home entertainment was in streaming video online, but regretted the communication gap with their customers. Although the move was something of a PR disaster, it was eventually only a blip as the company kicked off its exponential growth. The price rise also helped boost the company’s revenues, putting it in a strong financial position.

Netflix Streaming versus DVDs subscription

There’s no question that Netflix is a powerful force in the entertainment world. The company has completely changed the way we watch movies and TV shows, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But what’s the difference between Netflix streaming and DVD?

Netflix streaming is the company’s primary focus these days. It’s a subscription service that gives you access to a library of movies and TV shows that you can watch on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV. There’s no need to wait for DVDs to arrive in the mail, and you can watch as much or as little as you want.

DVD, on the other hand, is a physical disc that you can rent from Netflix or any other store. You’ll need a DVD player to watch it, and you can only watch it on one device at a time. On a combined average, DVDs also tend to be more expensive than streaming, so you’ll have to factor that into your decision.

So, which is better? It really depends on your needs. If you want to watch TV shows and movies without any commercials, and you don’t mind waiting a few days for new releases, then DVD is probably a better option. But if you want to be able to watch anything you want, anytime you want, then streaming is the way to go.

Domestic Growth in US and International Expansion

The tech innovations in the history of Netflix have ensured that even though the company contributes to over 30% of peak traffic in North America, its impact on the broader internet infrastructure is minimal. Innovations in video encoding and content delivery have ensured that the company has managed to minimize its footprint, meaning that customers continue to get the best possible experience while not impacting other internet services.

In January 2016 Netflix accounted for 37.1% of traffic in North America’s fixed networks. This share declined to 35.2% in June 2016, which can be attributed to encoding efficiencies that Netflix implemented. Per-title encoding optimisation replaced a more general encoding criteria. This ensured that lower bitrates were used for better quality video encoding. For some titles, these optimisations would yield a 20% reduction in bitrates, while achieving a better viewer experience.

The company has innovated in video delivery through the internet by tying up with ISPs to ensure minimal data transfer over the backbone of the internet, so that much of the traffic is routed internally through the ISPs only. Towards this the company’s Open Connect CDN connects through settlement-free peering with most ISPs. The company has also offered to locally cache content at ISPs, through their Open Connect Appliances, which would ensure that streaming traffic would only be local to the ISP.

The business logic of customer data and content catalogue would meanwhile be on the company’s cloud services which are installed on Amazon Web Services. Netflix’s cloud operations run out of three different AWS regions – Oregon (US-west-2), North Virginia (US-east-1) and North California (US-west-1), which ensures that the company’s services remain uninterrupted even when entire AWS regions go down. In the history of Netflix, the company achieved its targeted 99.99% uptime since its move to the AWS cloud.

In January 2016 Netflix launched across the globe. The company’s streaming video service is now accessible in 190 countries, with the only major exception being China, with their cloud solutions scaling up and responding to the demands of global internet requirements.

From Dot Com Bubble to baring FANGs

There has been much internet-enabled transformation in the world that has enabled Netflix’s emergence. The company is a part of the tech industry’s FANGs, an acronym coined by US finance expert Jim Cramer in 2013,  FANGs – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Although a relative minnow when compared to FB, Amazon and Google (now Alphabet), the acronym reaffirms how over the two decades in the history of Netflix, it captured a significant mindshare amongst the internet population.

These tech companies have gained the most as the internet has taken an increasingly more significant role in our lives. Mobile phones have made internet access ubiquitous, meaning that for the youngest generations internet now informs global culture much more than other media. Technological behemoths such as Google and Amazon have enabled technical infrastructure in the form of Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that anybody can use. By abstracting away the technological complexities and leaving more capabilities in the hands of software developers, these companies have enabled the development of technological infrastructure to develop consumer-facing products. This history of Netflix would have been considerably different were it not for the maturing technical infrastructure and internet popularity.

Amidst a decline in market sentiments around tech companies in 2016, Netflix was one of the very few companies to have a steady stock. This signifies the confidence that investors have over the revenue-model of Netflix. Throughout the history of Netflix the company has been a step ahead of market trends – their decisions towards online catalogue of films, then offering an unlimited movie subscription model, then inaugurating streaming video, and finally creating their niche by investing in original content have contributed to the dominant position the company finds themselves in.

In the early 2010s, at a point when its technology no longer served as an effective enough competitive advantage, Netflix took on the incumbent cable television industry by investing in high-quality content. As it reaches saturation in the US market, Netflix needs to expand internationally. Finding the right content formula for international audiences is the challenge facing Netflix.

With this we come to an end of this informational piece on history of Netflix. We hope you found it interesting to read.

Discontinuation of DVD Rentals, Expansion of Live Events, and WWE Agreement (2023–Present)

On April 18, 2023, Netflix announced it would end its DVD-by-mail service on September 29. Users could keep their last received DVDs. Over its lifetime, the service had shipped over 5 billion DVDs.

In October 2023, Netflix promoted Eunice Kim to Chief Product Officer and Elizabeth Stone to Chief Technology Officer. That same month, amid restructuring its animation division, Netflix announced a multi-film agreement with Skydance Animation, starting with the film Spellbound, replacing a previous deal with Apple TV+.

In December 2023, Netflix released its first “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” detailing viewership for titles watched over 50,000 hours from January to June 2023. The report, which will be published biannually, revealed that The Night Agent was the most-watched show globally in the first half of 2023.

On January 23, 2024, Netflix announced a major deal with WWE to acquire international rights to its live weekly program Raw starting in January 2025. This agreement, valued at $500 million per year over ten years, includes rights to WWE’s main weekly programs (Raw, SmackDown, and NXT), premium live events, and documentaries, initially covering the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Latin America, with plans to expand to other regions.

In February 2024, Netflix partnered with Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, to produce the play Patriots on Broadway. This venture marks Netflix’s first Broadway credit but not its first stage project, as they were involved in producing Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London, both productions sharing lead producer Sonia Friedman.

In May 2024, Netflix hosted its second Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles, streaming several specials live, including Katt Williams’s Woke Folk and The Roast of Tom Brady, both of which ranked in Netflix’s global top 10. That same month, Netflix announced it would stream both NFL Christmas games in 2024 and hold exclusive rights to at least one NFL Christmas game each year for 2025 and 2026.

In June 2024, Netflix announced plans for Netflix House, a new permanent entertainment venue for fans to experience Netflix series and films, with the first locations set to open at King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania and Galleria Dallas in Texas.

FAQs

How much does Netflix streaming cost?

Netflix offers a variety of subscription plans to fit your needs. The plan you choose will determine the number of devices you can stream Netflix on at the same time.

Can I watch Netflix shows offline?

Yes, Netflix shows can be watched offline, but only if you have downloaded them in advance on your device.

How long has Netflix been around or when the streaming revolution started?

Netflix was started in August of 1997 in Scotts Valley, California. Its co-founder, Reed Hastings, had the idea to start the company after he was charged $40 for a late movie rental.

When was Netflix launched in India?

Netflix first launched in India in 2016 and is now one of the most popular streaming services in the country. Netflix offers a wide variety of content in India, including Bollywood movies, Hollywood movies, TV shows, and documentaries. It is one of the few streaming services that offer 4K Ultra HD content in India.

Will Netflix stop mailing DVDs?

Currently, Netflix is offering both DVDs and Streaming services in many countries. Even though it has an inclination toward serving via streaming but the DVD business is not going to stop soon.

When did NetFlix start?

Netflix started on August 29, 1997, in Scotts Valley, California.

How old is NetFlix?

Netflix is 25 years old.

Who created Netflix?

Netflix was founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post History of Netflix- Founding, Model, Timeline, Milestones (2024 Updated) appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

1. DRM vulnerabilities in past 1 year
2. Extracting video urls to play outside website/app or app clones
3. Illegal password sharing leading over-usage
4. Screen Capture in some platforms
5. Telegram promoting large scale piracy – Hacker friendly policies
6. Coordination between international hackers through anonymous forums

Problem 1 – DRM vulnerabilities in past 1 year

Widevine DRM has 2 security levels – L1 and L3. L1 is hardware based key exchange security , while L3 is software based key exchange security. While L1 based devices have been always full secure, L3 based devices on android and windows can face on and off vulnerabilities. The hacks which came out earlier were quite sophisticated and not many hackers were actually able to technically implement it. Over the time the hacks have improved, and though they still are technical, but with helps from international hacker communities, now each country has several groups of hackers who can implement these hacks to download DRM content.

VdoCipher Solution for this issue –
VdoCipher has launched a piracy tracker and hacker identification tool to auto-block advanced piracy tracking attempts including DRM breakage. Our years of experience has led us to know the common technical tools, patterns and device vulnerabilities which hackers tend to exploit, and we autoblock them. In addition to auto-blocking these attempts, we also provide a list of users who attempted these, so that if required further action can be taken against them. All this information is provided in the dashboard. Please contact us to implement this in your platform.

Results in past 6 months for our customers:

57,000 sessions blocked for potential piracy attempts
9,000 unique devices/IPs blocked for potential piracy attempts
780 users detected who misused their accounts sharing login/password with multiple users
590 customer websites/apps where these attempts were detected & auto-blocked
290 users’ accounts have been proactively blocked by our customers based on above data
7 users against which the customers have also initiated legal actions

More details on piracy tracker tool

Problem 2- Extracting video urls to play outside website/app or app clones

While DRM encryption can attempt to prevent illegal video downloads, but still if video urls can be fetched outside the platform site or app, and played outside by unauthorized users; then encryption is of no use. Sometimes, hackers can even make clone piracy apps of the main apps. 

VdoCipher Solution for this issue –
VdoCipher provides backend authenticated dynamic playback urls which are authorized to only play in the particular website or app where it is intended; any attempt to extract and play these urls outside the app/url is automatically blocked. Our API embeds also have other parameters to control access like number of days for access of offline downloads, time expiry for playback urls etc.

More details on API authentication at backend

Problem 3 – Illegal password sharing leading over-usage

Suppose there is prevention from illegal downloads, screen capture and url sharing, but still if someone shares access to login and password; then multiple users can enjoy the same subscription and cause revenue loss to the content creator.

VdoCipher Solution for this issue –
While there are few ways to do this at website/app login level, which can be done directly by the platform owners; if you integrate our apis, we provide a watchtime based calculation for per user per folder/per course so that you can see which users’ are over using. We also provide unique device/browser count for users and total watchtime across all videos per user. This information is provided in the dashboard.

Problem 4 – Screen Capture in some platforms

A lot of misinformation is spread by some video hosting or DRM companies who claim full screen capture protection in all browsers including Chrome, Firefox. It is technically not possible to prevent 100% screen capture in browsers like chrome, firefox in desktop and android. Other platforms claiming it are factually incorrect. Netflix and other major platforms are also unable to prevent screen capture in many cases in desktop.

VdoCipher Solution for this issue –
Screen capture can be prevented with 100% surety in Safari browser and mobile apps (android, ios) with help of DRM and some additional technologies. For other cases , we have a viewer specific watermark to discourage screen capture. The watermark is user specific and can be customised for color, transparency, speed of movement, frequency etc. to optimise for viewer experience and security.

More details on screen capture protection 
Demo of dynamic watermarking

Problem 5 – Telegram promoting large scale piracy with Hacker friendly policies

Any body can make a group (with anonymous identity) and directly upload videos or other content in the telegram group. The name of the group can be the name of the brand they are pirating content of, and it can be searched by people. Groups can have 20,000+ people who can get this content. Telegram has 3 core features/services which seem to have been created intentionally for these purposes. 

• Anonymity of the user is maintained regardless of any illegal activities they may be involved and the anonymity is still maintained even after being forced by govt. Authorities. Same user can create groups again and again , and keep pirating content. 
• Allowing searching groups by title, so that anyone in the world can search and join a group where illegal activities are being done (e.g Child Pornography , piracy of paid movies, courses, secretive messaging about illegal activities, child). Such things can not happen on whatsapp or most other chat apps.
• Intentionally poor response to takedown requests from copyright owners and allowing multiple groups to be made by the same person.

VdoCipher Solution for this –
Best action against piracy is pre-piracy action by implementing technical actions so that the content does not get leaked in the first place. DRM, Watermark, Piracy tracker, Backend Authentication – All these tools ensure that the content does not get downloaded in raw files and is prevented from going on telegram. Most of our customers, even the largest ones, never find their content leaked on telegram. There are various levels of security which a customer can use based on how much restriction they want to impose. But suppose, the customer decides to use fewer security features and there is some piracy which happens, VdoCipher helps in takedown of content/group from telegram.

Problem 6 – Coordination between international hackers through anonymous forums

Let us consider this situation –  A platform providing courses for finance students or medical students. Now these students do not have a coding background or enough technical knowledge to even attempt basic technical hacks. But what they do is share their access to advanced technical hackers; and surprisingly we have seen that these hackers may not even be in the same country as the students. There are telegram groups, users, online forums on various social media platforms enabling this interaction.

VdoCipher Solution for this –
Our piracy tracker solution also provides user id who attempted piracy, and our customers regularly take action against such users. When students come to know that they are being tracked and are reprimanded with legal notice, they fear in attempting such things; and also overall student community understands that their illegal actions can have consequences.

Please feel free to contact support@vdocipher.com for implementing these video security features with VdoCipher video player on your app and website.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Why is DRM not enough to protect video piracy? What additional measures are required? appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is Video Metadata?

Video metadata is text inside the video file that references the video. Search engines use video metadata to understand the video context relate it to particular search queries and show video results. Viewers too get the proper video context and relevant information through video metadata.

Metadata can be directly embedded in the video or included as a separate file YouTube combines video metadata with other video viewership data to determine when to show videos among its top results. Likewise, Content recommendation systems, such as Netflix’s famous machine learning algorithms, also use video metadata to accurately personalize videos.

• Provides descriptive information about a video file such as title, description, video tags, and creation date
• Helps organize and search video files
• Helps search engines better analyze, categorize, and relate the video to relevant search queries
• Video metadata can include bitrate, codec, and frame rate which ensures video correctly plays on various devices and browsers
• Often metadata is required for compliance purposes

Types of Video Metadata

What is the Importance of Metadata for SEO?

Metadata is a critical component in enhancing the search engine optimization (SEO) of video content. Properly utilized metadata not only helps search engines understand and index your videos but also improves the discoverability and accessibility of your content to a broader audience. Here’s an in-depth look at how metadata improves search engine visibility and best practices for optimizing video metadata for SEO.

How Metadata Improves Search Engine Visibility?

1. Enhanced Indexing:
   • Search engines use metadata to index video content accurately. Metadata provides essential information about the video’s content, making it easier for search engines to categorize and rank it appropriately. For instance, descriptive metadata such as titles, descriptions, and tags help search engines understand the context and relevance of the video.
2. Improved Click-Through Rates (CTR):
   • Well-crafted metadata can increase the likelihood of users clicking on your video. A compelling title and description can attract more clicks, which signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant, potentially boosting your ranking.
3. Better User Experience:
   • Metadata improves the user experience by providing clear and concise information about the video. This includes details like video length, resolution, and content summary. A better user experience leads to longer watch times and lower bounce rates, both of which positively impact SEO.
4. Increased Video Discoverability:
   • Using relevant tags and keywords within your metadata enhances the discoverability of your videos. Tags help connect your video with related content, making it more likely to appear in related searches or recommended video sections.
5. Enhanced Rich Snippets:
   • Metadata contributes to the creation of rich snippets in search results. Rich snippets provide additional information, such as video thumbnails, duration, and publication date, directly in the search results. These enhanced listings are more attractive to users and can improve click-through rates.

Best Practices for Optimizing Video Metadata for SEO

1. Craft Descriptive and Keyword-Rich Titles:
   • Ensure your video titles are descriptive and include relevant keywords. A good title should clearly convey the content of the video and attract potential viewers. Keywords should be naturally integrated to avoid keyword stuffing.
2. Write Detailed and Engaging Descriptions:
   • Provide a comprehensive and engaging description for each video. Descriptions should summarize the content, include relevant keywords, and offer additional context that can help users understand what to expect. Aim for at least 250 words to give search engines enough information to index your content effectively.
3. Utilize Relevant Tags and Keywords:
   • Use a variety of relevant tags and keywords that describe your video. Tags should cover the main topics, themes, and any relevant subtopics. This helps search engines associate your video with related content and improve its visibility in search results.
4. Optimize Thumbnails:
   • Create eye-catching and relevant thumbnails for your videos. Thumbnails are often the first thing users see, so they should be visually appealing and accurately represent the video content. A good thumbnail can significantly increase click-through rates.
5. Include Transcripts and Closed Captions:
   • Adding transcripts and closed captions not only makes your video accessible to a wider audience but also improves SEO. Search engines can index the text from transcripts and captions, providing more context and increasing the chances of your video appearing in relevant search queries.
6. Implement Structured Data Markup:
   • Use structured data markup (schema.org) to provide additional information about your video to search engines. This can include details like video title, description, duration, upload date, and thumbnail URL. Structured data helps search engines display rich snippets and improves the overall SEO of your video.
7. Monitor and Update Metadata Regularly:
   • Regularly review and update your video metadata to ensure it remains relevant and effective. Trends and keywords can change over time, so it’s important to keep your metadata up-to-date to maintain and improve your search engine rankings.

By following these best practices and understanding the importance of metadata for SEO, you can significantly enhance the visibility and performance of your video content in search engine results. Properly optimized metadata not only helps search engines understand and index your videos but also ensures that your content reaches and engages the right audience.

How is Video Search different from Web Page Search?

The beasts of burden of the internet are the web bots that crawl every single page there is. Web crawlers determine the suitability of a page for search results on two inputs:

• Text content
• Backlinks to the web page.

Search Engines cannot however automatically crawl videos. Likewise, backlinks are not relevant for video search.

For this reason, search engines have to rely on text data associated with the video. This text data, in the form of video title, video description, and video tags, is what search engines use to determine which videos form the best results for a search query.

Optimizing Video Metadata

Optimizing search results is very important for video creators. Being on the first page of a Google search query is a guarantee that your video is going to be viewed many times. The elements of video metadata that can be optimized to make videos more search-engine friendly are:

Video Title

Video Title should be accurate, and should also reflect what your viewers would want to watch. You should look up Google’s Keyword Planner to find out the most popular keywords. Keyword research would help evaluate which is better – to attempt to rank high for a competitive video category, or to rank top for long-tail search terms.

Video Description

Video descriptions are an introduction to viewers and to search bots alike. An accurate and detailed video description could reassure potential viewers that your video is worth watching.

Video Tags

Video tags are the categories that your video falls into. In YouTube’s autoplay feature the succeeding video has to share at least one video tag with the current video being played.

Aggressive metadata optimization is discouraged. Besides being a bad user experience, misleading video metadata can cause your videos to be blacklisted on YouTube and other video platforms.

Is search really all that important?

Search Engines are the backbone of the internet. By creating a set of rules according to which web pages rank for keywords, Google has created the entire field of search engine optimization. For online businesses, there is a world of difference between ranking 1st on the first page and ranking at the bottom of the first page.

An effective search engine ensures that your users find what they are looking for. With a small collection of videos, you can put them all up for users to choose for themselves. That’s where dashboards work best. However, search becomes increasingly important as the library of content increases.

Is Search the only way my users can get new content?

Video platforms such as Netflix have tried to move beyond search results to show new videos. The reasoning goes that time spent searching for content is also the time when users are likely to leave the video platform. To minimize this time, Netflix has created its content recommendation system.

Netflix’s recommendation systems use metadata at their core. Netflix currently has over 25,000 genres into which it classifies its film collection. TV and film analysts tag films and series into genres. Each film can belong to multiple genres at the same time. These genres (such as here), are metadata that Netflix uses to train its machine learning algorithms.

Autoplay, content recommendation systems, and playlists all rely on metadata. Although machine learning technologies being applied to further improve user experience, video metadata still forms the base over which these systems work.

Is there other video metadata?

The prefix meta is applied whenever something refers to itself. This sentence is meta because it refers to itself. As is this XKCD comic.

Video files also carry information about themselves beyond the title, description, and tags. This metadata refers to the v ideo file itself. Data about the video file include video codec, video resolution, video encoding (constant bit rate or variable bitrate), links to the content decryption key, among others. This metadata is only useful to the video player playing back the video.

For video creators, video metadata also comprises of information about the video production process. This includes:

• Camera information
• Kind of camera & Lens
• Aperture Size
• Video frame rate
• Shutter-speed
• Clapperboard Information such as:
  • Scene
  • Take number
  • Camera angle

Find more details about VdoCipher’s DRM infrastructure and our integration of Widevine DRM for Hollywood-grade security, which helps us protect your premium content.

Role of Video Metadata in Video SEO

Video metadata is the essence of video SEO. It is the information that surrounds your video – the title, description, tags, categories, thumbnail, and closed captions or transcripts, among other elements. Metadata is a pivotal tool that allows search engines to understand the content of your video, which in turn determines its relevance to users’ search queries.

Video metadata and video SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are closely related concepts that pertain to optimizing video content for better visibility and discoverability in search engines.

Video metadata refers to the information and data associated with a video file. It includes various elements such as the title, description, tags, category, duration, language, captions, and thumbnail image. These metadata elements provide valuable context and information about the video, helping search engines and platforms understand its content.

Video SEO, on the other hand, involves optimizing video content to improve its search engine rankings and increase organic visibility. It encompasses a range of techniques and best practices aimed at making videos more discoverable by search engines and improving their chances of appearing in relevant search results. Video SEO may include optimizing video titles and descriptions with relevant keywords, adding appropriate tags, providing accurate and informative captions, creating engaging thumbnails, and implementing structured data markup to provide additional context to search engines.

The video metadata plays a crucial role in video SEO because search engines rely on this information to understand the content of the video and determine its relevance to user queries. By optimizing video metadata according to SEO principles, you can enhance the chances of your videos being surfaced in search results and attracting more viewers.

Furthermore, video platforms like YouTube often use metadata to recommend related videos or display video suggestions to users based on their viewing history and preferences. Therefore, having well-optimized video metadata can also improve the chances of your videos being recommended to a wider audience on these platforms.

In summary, video metadata and video SEO go hand in hand, as the metadata provides essential information about the video’s content, while video SEO techniques help optimize that metadata for improved search engine visibility and discoverability.

Importance of various aspects of video metadata and their influence on Video SEO

Title: Your video’s title should be concise, enticing, and, most importantly, infused with relevant keywords. This not only attracts users but also helps search engines categorize your content. The popular outdoor brand, Patagonia, excels in this, with video titles such as “The Fight for Europe’s Last Wild Rivers” that balance storytelling and keyword optimization.

Description: The description is another place to integrate your keywords and long-tail phrases. It provides additional context to both users and search engines about your video content. Including a summary of the video, key points, and a call to action can significantly improve your video’s searchability. TED Talks, for instance, does a fantastic job at creating descriptive summaries that offer valuable insights about their video content.

Tags: Tags allow you to include additional keywords related to your video. Use a mix of specific (long-tail) and general (short-tail) keywords to broaden your reach. YouTube, for example, encourages creators to use tags to improve the discoverability of their content.

Categories: Choosing the right category helps position your video among similar content, which aids in attracting a targeted audience and improves your SEO ranking.

Thumbnail: While not typically thought of as metadata, a compelling thumbnail can drastically increase your video’s click-through-rate (CTR). A higher CTR signals to search engines that your content is relevant, thereby boosting your SEO ranking. Companies like Netflix have mastered this, customizing thumbnails to ensure maximum viewer engagement.

Closed Captions and Transcripts: These are critical for two reasons. Firstly, they make your videos accessible to a broader audience, including those with hearing impairments or non-native language speakers. Secondly, they provide textual content for search engines to crawl. A study by Discovery Digital Networks found a 13.48% increase in view count in the first 14 days after adding captions.

While this offers a glimpse into the potential of video metadata, it is vital to consider a holistic SEO approach. For instance, in addition to metadata, ensuring a responsive website design and mobile video optimization, given that more than half of video content is consumed on mobile, can contribute significantly to your SEO success.

Further, the importance of engaging, high-quality content cannot be overstressed. Algorithms are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can gauge signals like viewer engagement, watch time, likes, shares, and comments, to rank videos.

Also, take advantage of Video Object Schema, a form of structured data that helps search engines understand more about your video content, enhancing the chances of appearing in rich snippets and boosting SEO.

It’s important to measure and analyze your results using tools like Google Analytics, YouTube Analytics, or SEO-specific tools like SEMrush or Moz. This data can help you refine your SEO strategy and make data-driven decisions to maximize your visibility and reach. Leveraging video metadata is a powerful strategy in boosting video SEO and enhancing online visibility.

FAQs

What is the importance of video metadata?

It helps search and organize video files, provide all the relevant information to viewers, boost SEO, and ensure compliance and other regulations.

How to add metadata to video files?

There are a number of software tools such as metadata editors to add and edit video metadata. Also platforms like YouTube allow add and edit of metadata while uploading a video file.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Video Metadata – Optimize to Increase Your Viewers appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

• What is the size of a video for a certain pixel quality? (Say 1 hour 1080p video)
• What does kbps mean? How much video bandwidth will 1 hour 1000 kbps video consume?
• I want my videos in 1080/720/480/360 p like Youtube. How does VdoCipher enable that?
• How many video quality options I need to have to ensure smooth playback across the world?
• Why does VdoCipher provide video bitrate (kbps) as quality options and not pixels (p)?

Here are some key definitions and concepts to help everybody better understand video quality parameters.

What is Video Quality?

Video quality is how good a video and its individual frame look on your screen. It basically means the level of accuracy of the images and detail that a video displays.

Video quality is influenced by different parameters such as:

Video Pixels: Video pixels define the resolution of a video, telling us how many pixels are in the video both horizontally and vertically. For eg, a Full HD video will have the resolution- 1920×1080, which indicates the pixels present. Higher pixel counts generally mean a clearer and sharper image, as there is more detail present.

Video Bitrate: Bitrate is the amount of data processed in a unit of time, typically measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). A higher bitrate usually translates to higher video quality, as more data is used to represent each second of video. However, it also means larger file sizes and may require more bandwidth for streaming.

Frame Rate: Measured in frames per second (fps), it determines how many individual frames are displayed per second. A higher video frame rate generally results in smoother motion in the video.

Compression: Video compression reduces file size, which can be crucial for storage and streaming. However, excessive compression can degrade video quality, causing artifacts and loss of detail.

Color Depth: Color Depth is the number of bits used to represent the color of each pixel. Higher color depth allows for a broader range of colors and more detailed color gradation.

Aspect Ratio: The ratio of width to height (e.g., 16:9). It doesn’t directly affect quality but choosing the wrong aspect ratio can result in a stretched or compressed image.

Codec: Video Codecs are used to compress and decompress video files. Different codecs may handle colors, motion, and detail differently, impacting the final quality.

Noise: Unwanted random variations in brightness or color information in images, which can degrade video quality.

Balancing these parameters is crucial to achieving optimal video quality while managing file sizes and streaming requirements.

What are Pixels (p) – 1080 / 720 / 480 / 360 / 240 p

Pixels as a quality index essentially mean the height of the video in the number of pixels. Thus, a video quality of 1080p means – the height of the video is 1080 pixels. Now the next question is what is the width of the video? There is no exact technically right answer but in common convention, the video is 16:9 for online playback. Thus the width of the video becomes 1080*16/9 – 1920 pixels.

So, in common convention 1080p means 1080 pixels as the height of the video and 1920 as the width of the video. Similarly, 480 p will mean 480 pixels in height and 480*16/9 -853 pixels as the width of the video. However this may vary if the aspect ratio of video is different (like 4:3). So, until you know the video aspect ratio, you can’t determine the exact number of pixels in a video.

Does pixel directly correspond to a size? What will be the size of 1 hour,1080 p video?

Surprisingly there is no fixed answer to that. If pixel quality is fixed, then the number of pixels in a video is fixed. E.g a 1080 p will have 1080*1920 = 2073600 pixels. But how much data is captured in the video, is not determined by number of pixels exactly. Thus, Youtube , Vimeo and Vdocipher can provide different size of videos for the same length and same pixel quality. It is even possible that say 1 hour, 1080p video of vdocipher is of lower size than 720 p of Vimeo.

So, the next obvious question is what exactly determines the video size? It is video bitrate (generally represented by kbps like 1500 kbps etc). Please read the next section to understand bitrate as a quality index.

What is Video Bitrate (kbps) – 1500/ 1000/ 600 /300 kbps

Video bitrate is the video data transferred at a particular time. A high video bitrate is one of the most vital factors in the quality of a video. A good looking video consists of a high video bitrate along with a high video resolution and frame rate. So, I hope that answers what is bitrate in the video. For a particular video, you can use constant bitrate or variable bitrate, find out more about CBR vs VBR in the article linked.

How is video bitrate linked to the size of the video?

Bitrate is generally represented by kbps which essentially means kb (kilobits) of data per second. So, the size of a 1hour 1500 kbps video will be – 1500*60*60 -kilobits= 1500*60*60/8000 MBs of data = 675 MB per hour of video data.

Similarly, a 1000 kbps 1 hour video will be 450 MB in size , 600 kbps will be 270 MB in size.

What is the Relation between video pixels(p) and video bitrate (kbps)?

There is no precise technical relation between pixels and bitrate. For the same streaming provider; the higher the pixels, the higher the bitrate, and vice-versa. Though as I already mentioned different service providers can offer different pixels even at the same video bitrate. Pixels define the resolution of the video, while bitrate is average data size for a video file expressed per second of video. There can be high-resolution videos with low bitrate and low resolution videos at very high video bitrate . This imbalance is because of some complicated maths that is used to express what to display on a video with least amount of file size. These maths can force the bitrate for a video at any arbitrary small value while compromising on the quality.

What bitrate/pixels does VdoCipher use for HD streaming?

VdoCipher has a wide range for 1080p HD in terms of video bitrate. It depends on what size the customer uploads and what is type of content – Media, E-learning (In e-learning, if it is screen capture, animation or class recording etc.) Video bitrate for 1080p is at maximum kept at 2000 kbps for video course content , for certain high motion movies video bitrate for 1080p is kept at 2500 to 5000 kbps range. For certain cases, low motion lectures, video bitrate for 1080p can be as low as 600 kbps. You can read more about SD vs HD in this blog.

How does Video Bitrate affect Video quality?

Video quality is directly related to the video bitrate, generally, a higher video bitrate would mean higher quality, and a lower bitrate would mean lower quality. 

Although it might not be the case always, an unreasonable high bitrate can cause buffering issues or glitches, as the user’s computer and data bandwidth might not be able to process the file. This is why it is quite important to find out the optimum bitrate for your videos. 

Even with the same resolution, your optimum bitrate might vary depending on the video frame rate required for the video. For video lectures with about 30fps it can go up to 2000kbps, while with video content with a higher framerate like 60fps or more it can go up to 5000kbps.

Other factors that affect Video Quality

Apart from video bitrate, there are other parameters that affect the quality of the video. Generally, there is a direct correlation between the size and the quality of the video. Video frame rate and video resolution also have a good impact on video quality. 

• Video frame rate is basically the number of different frames or images used to play the video. It is measured in fps or frames per second, which defines how many frames or images there would be in the video. So a 30 fps video would have 30 different frames in a second, as the number of frames increases, you can show much more details in that video. Sports, animation, and gaming videos would generally have a higher frame rate. 
• Video resolution is the number of pixels in the frames of video. A video with more pixels would have better video quality. This is the most common term used in order to define video quality. In most video platforms, you can see the option to choose different resolutions. Mostly used video resolutions are 480p, 720p,1080p, and 4k.

Why does YouTube use pixels as a quality parameter, while VdoCipher uses video bitrate?

There are two primary reasons –

1. Video Bitrate directly corresponds to size and hence bandwidth consumption & costs. 1000 kbps video will consume double bandwidth as compared to 500 kbps video. Pixels don’t have such direct co-relation.
2. VdoCipher can provide higher pixel quality even at low bitrates. So, for many cases , VdoCipher can provide 1080p or 720 p HD even at 500-900 kbps range. Thus, there is no need for a lower pixel parameter.

How many video quality options I need to have to ensure smooth playback across the world?

From VdoCipher experience –

1. For Movies/Serials with a lot of motion – 3 or maximum 4 qualities. We typically do  4000/5000 kbps, 2000 kbps ,800 kbps, 600 kbps
2. For Educational content – 3 in most cases. 2000, 800, 400 kbps Or sometimes – 1500, 800, 300 kbps.

VdoCipher has customers across all 6 continents. (Sorry, we don’t have a customer in Antarctica yet :D) . The bitrate and quality optimizations are made keeping in mind slow connections of Asia & African users. Over the time, they have worked well for all geographical distributions ensuring a great viewing experience.

Video Bitrate and Data usage for HD (720p), FHD (1080p) and UHD (2160p) video streaming

Video bitrate for HD, FHD (Full HD), and UHD (Ultra HD) video content streaming depends on various factors. It includes codec (e.g., H.264, H.265, VP9), frame rate, and compression efficiency. However, the below figures are often cited for video streaming services.

Note: The above figures can vary. For example, H.265 (HEVC) is more efficient than H.264. It can deliver similar video quality at about half the bitrate. Moreover, the actual bitrate can change dynamically based on your network conditions if you use adaptive bitrate streaming.

Video Enhancement: Uplifting the Viewing Experience

Video quality plays a vital role when it comes to the viewing experience. But what to do when the he raw footage isn’t up to par?  This is where video enhancement comes to the rescue. 

Video enhancement means improving and optimizing the quality of video through various means. It can varu from making colors pop to smoothing out shaky footage, enhancement techniques can turn subpar footage into professional-grade content.

Here you’ll find some steps on how you can use video enhancement to improve the quality of video/ Thus ultimately uplifting your users’ video experience.

Video Enhancement Techniques

Several different video enhancement techniques can be employed to enhance video quality:

Upscaling:

Upscaling involves increasing the resolution of a video, making it more clear and detailed. Although it doesn’t add more detail than was in the original video, it does make the video more compatible with higher resolution displays. Major difference you’ll notice before and after upscaling is you can see a low res video on a high res display.

You can Increase your video’s resolution to make it sharper and more detailed using software like Adobe Premiere Pro or PowerDirector. These applications have built-in upscaling features. Remember, while upscaling won’t add more detail than was present in the original footage, it will improve compatibility with higher-resolution displays.

Noise Reduction: 

Digital noise, such as grain or specks that distort the video, can often occur during video recording, particularly in low-light situations. Noise reduction tools can minimize this noise, leading to a smoother, cleaner video. 

In such cases Video is processed frame-by-frame using three video frames (previous, current and next) as input. An enhanced frame is produced via inference using a pre-trained neural network model

You can clean up digital noise such as grain or specks with noise reduction features found in video editing software. For instance, you can do noise reduction in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can find this under the ‘Effects’ tab, labeled as ‘Denoise’.

Stabilization:

Shaky footage can often be an issue with handheld recordings. Stabilization helps to smooth out these shakes, creating a more pleasing and professional-looking video.

Make shaky footage steadier with stabilization options in your editing software. In iMovie, for example, this option is found under the ‘Stabilization’ tab after you’ve selected a clip in your timeline.

You can also user adobe premier pro for stabilization, Warp Stabilizer effect smooths out unwanted camera shake in just a few clicks, with precision fine-tuning so you can get exactly the look and feel you want.

Color Correction: 

This involves adjusting the colors in your video to make them appear more natural or to achieve a specific visual aesthetic. Color correction can make your videos more visually pleasing and engaging.

Adjust the colors in your video for a more natural or aesthetically pleasing look. Tools like Final Cut Pro and PowerDirector have robust color correction features.

Video Enhancement Tools and Software

There are numerous video enhancement software options available, from professional-grade software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, to more user-friendly options like iMovie or PowerDirector. These tools offer a range of enhancement features, allowing you to adjust various aspects of your video to improve its overall quality.

Impact of Video Enhancement

Improving video quality through enhancement can greatly impact viewer engagement. A high-quality video keeps the audience’s attention, reducing bounce rates and improving overall satisfaction. In an era where viewer expectations are higher than ever, delivering high-quality video content is crucial.

By addressing these facets of video enhancement, you’ll be better equipped to optimize your video content, delivering a viewing experience that resonates with audiences and meets today’s high standards of video quality.

How To Enhance Video Quality?

Enhancing video quality involves several techniques that can improve the visual experience for viewers. Here are some effective methods:

1. Increase Bitrate

• Definition: Bitrate refers to the amount of data processed per unit of time in a video file.
• Implementation: Higher bitrates can lead to better quality because more data is available to create each frame. However, it also results in larger file sizes.
• Recommendation: Aim for a bitrate that balances quality and file size. For example, a 1080p video typically requires a bitrate between 8,000 and 12,000 kbps.

2. Use High-Resolution Source Files

• Definition: Resolution is the number of pixels in each dimension that a video displays.
• Implementation: Start with high-resolution footage, such as 4K or at least 1080p. Higher resolutions provide more detail and clarity.
• Recommendation: Always capture and edit in the highest resolution possible, then downscale if necessary.

3. Optimize Encoding Settings

• Definition: Encoding is the process of converting video files into a digital format.
• Implementation: Use modern codecs like H.264 or H.265, which offer high quality at lower bitrates.
• Recommendation: Adjust settings like profile, level, and compression rate for optimal quality. Tools like HandBrake can help optimize these settings.

4. Apply Filters and Enhancements

• Definition: Filters and enhancements can improve video clarity, brightness, and color accuracy.
• Implementation: Use video editing software to apply sharpening, noise reduction, color correction, and contrast enhancement.
• Recommendation: Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve offer advanced features for video enhancement.

5. Ensure Good Lighting and Equipment

• Definition: Proper lighting and quality equipment significantly affect video quality.
• Implementation: Use adequate lighting to avoid shadows and grainy footage. High-quality cameras and lenses capture better details and colors.
• Recommendation: Invest in good lighting setups and use cameras capable of recording at high resolutions and bitrates.

6. Improve Internet Bandwidth

• Definition: For streaming videos, internet bandwidth affects the quality viewers experience.
• Implementation: Ensure a stable and high-speed internet connection to stream videos at higher resolutions without buffering.
• Recommendation: For HD streaming, a minimum upload speed of 5 Mbps is recommended, while 4K streaming may require 25 Mbps or higher.

How To Change Video Quality?

Changing video quality allows viewers to adjust the resolution and bitrate based on their internet speed and device capabilities. Here’s how to do it:

1. In Video Players

• Implementation: Most video players (like YouTube, VLC, etc.) offer quality settings within their interface.
• Steps:
  1. Click on the settings icon (usually a gear symbol).
  2. Select the ‘Quality’ option.
  3. Choose the desired resolution (e.g., 144p, 360p, 720p, 1080p).
• Recommendation: Allow automatic quality adjustment based on the viewer’s internet speed for the best experience.

2. Through Video Editing Software

• Implementation: Use editing software to export videos at different quality settings.
• Steps:
  1. Import the video into the software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro).
  2. Choose ‘Export’ and select the desired resolution and bitrate.
  3. Save the new file with the adjusted quality.
• Recommendation: Create multiple versions of your video to cater to different audience needs.

3. Using Online Converters

• Implementation: Online tools like HandBrake, Clipchamp, and Online-Convert allow for easy quality adjustments.
• Steps:
  1. Upload the video to the converter.
  2. Select the desired output resolution and bitrate.
  3. Download the converted video.
• Recommendation: Ensure the chosen converter maintains the video’s original aspect ratio and quality as much as possible.

By following these guidelines, you can significantly enhance and manage video quality, providing a better viewing experience for your audience.

Video Quality FAQ Summary 

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post What is Video Bitrate, and How Does it Affect Video Quality? appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

The content owner/distributor has to obtain the required license from Apple to use this. As your streaming partner, we provide the encryption and licensing service to use your FairPlay keys. The complete integration setup is handled directly by VdoCipher, you only need to apply for a license and get the keys.

What is FairPlay DRM?

Fairplay is Apple’s DRM technology, which is used by Apple exclusively to stream content securely on iOS app, iOS safari, macOS safari as well as TV OS.

Fairplay streaming(FPS) securely delivers encrypted content through HTTP Live Streaming(HLS) and CBCS protocol .

Apple Fairplay DRM prevents video download as well as ensures screen recording protection.

Apple Fairplay DRM Compatibility

Fairplay DRM is compatible with the following devices:

• Mac Safari
• iOS Safari (iOS >11.2)
• iOS App. Native Apps are supported, web view apps are not supported.

Difference between default VdoCipher encryption security & Fairplay DRM Encryption – VdoCipher provides default encryption security for ios and Safari to prevent downloads. Apple Fairplay DRM is approved by studios and has an additional advantage of prevention from screen capture. VdoCipher helps our customers to apply to Apple for a Fairplay license and also then integrate it for your videos without any extra steps needed from your side.

Features of Apple FairPlay DRM

Apple FairPlay DRM (Digital Rights Management) provides a robust framework designed to secure multimedia content across Apple devices. This system includes several key features that ensure high-security standards suitable for premium content, such as early-window Hollywood movies. Here’s an overview of the fundamental features of Apple FairPlay DRM and how they enhance content security:

Hardware DRM Support

Apple devices such as macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS come equipped with hardware-level security, making them highly secure environments for deploying FairPlay DRM (FPS). Unlike other DRM systems like Widevine, which can also operate on Apple devices through browsers or SDKs, FPS offers native hardware DRM support. This hardware integration is crucial for securing premium content, as it provides a higher security level that is not readily available when using solutions like Widevine CDM SDK for iOS or Chrome’s Widevine on macOS.

Apple AirPlay Compatibility

One of the standout features of FPS DRM is its native support for Apple AirPlay, the technology that enables wireless streaming of content from Apple devices to Apple TV. This seamless compatibility allows FPS content to be easily played through AirPlay without requiring additional programming. Moreover, when FPS content is streamed to an Apple TV via AirPlay, the key delivery and decryption processes occur directly on the Apple TV. This maintains the same high security level as if the content were being played directly from the source device, such as an iPhone.

Download and Offline Playback

Starting from iOS 10, Apple has enhanced the FPS capabilities to include support for downloading and offline playback. This feature is particularly beneficial for users who wish to access content without an internet connection. The relevant APIs provided by Apple’s operating system facilitate the handling of downloading HLS content along with managing offline licenses. This ensures that even when content is accessed offline, it remains protected under the stringent security measures enforced by FPS DRM.

Supported Ecosystem of Apple FairPlay Streaming

To effectively deploy Apple FairPlay Streaming (FPS), it is essential to understand the supported platforms and versions that can leverage this DRM technology. Here is a detailed table outlining the compatibility across different Apple devices and operating systems:

Support Formats for Apple FairPlay

Apple FairPlay supports a variety of streaming formats and protocols to ensure broad compatibility and high-quality streaming experiences. Below is a table that summarizes the supported formats and protocols under the FairPlay DRM:

How To Request Apple FairPlay DRM Production License?

IMPORTANT: Below are some key steps, but it is recommended to mail us at support@vdocipher.com and we will guide you on the procedure to apply to Apple for the license. 

1. Please go to the Apple FairPlay page.
2. Click on the link to Request Deployment Package. You need to have a developer account before this.
3. If you are an organization you should use the organization account for this purpose. Companies outside the USA need to obtain a DUNS number in order to create an organization account.
4. After proceeding further, you should see a form to request the deployment package.
5. Enter your company and content details. Please take our help (support@vdocipher.com) to ensure that Apple doesn’t reject your use case as it can do for many cases.
6. If asked, you can enter our name “VdoCipher” in “Streaming Distribution Partner Name”
7. Confirm that you already have a “Keyserver module” setup and tested. You now need the “deployment package” for production.

Note that Fairplay DRM is only allowed for entities who are the content owner or have distribution rights to the content. Apple only provides Fairpay license when the video content is premium i.e. can only be accessed after payment.

FairPlay Streaming: Key Components

Apple FairPlay Streaming (FPS) is an essential technology for securing digital rights management (DRM) on Apple devices. To implement FPS effectively, several critical components must be integrated within your content delivery architecture. Here’s a breakdown of these components and how they interact to protect your streaming content:

Key Server and Key Security Module (KSM)

At the heart of the FairPlay implementation is the Key Server, which is responsible for managing the encryption and decryption keys. These keys are crucial for the secure delivery of DRM-protected content. Content service providers have the option to integrate a Key Security Module (KSM) directly on their key server. Apple provides a KSM sample that can be referred to during implementation, facilitating the validation and secure transmission of key request data from clients.

Client Application

The client application is designed to run on various Apple operating systems, including iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. This FPS client app communicates with the key server to request the necessary decryption keys for accessing protected content. Developers can utilize Apple’s provided sample code to build their own FPS client applications or opt for a comprehensive FPS SDK from a DRM solution provider. This flexibility allows content service providers to tailor the client app to meet specific operational needs or user experiences.

FPS Content and Encryption

For content that utilizes FPS, it is essential to encrypt each HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) segment using the SAMPLE-AES encryption method. The standard encryption protocol used here is AES-128 CBCS. To manage this, content providers can employ tools like the Shaka Packager, which facilitates FPS packaging by adding the necessary KEY tag to the m3u8 playlist. This tag includes all pertinent information required for decrypting the HLS content, ensuring that the encryption aligns with Apple’s stringent security standards.

How To Use Fairplay DRM Deployment Package?

You should have received an FPS_deployment package file from Apple. Open the zip file. You should find a PDF document titled: “FPSCertificateCreationGuide.pdf”.

This pdf describes the process of creation of an RSA key-pair and then getting the public key signed by Apple. In the process, it also generates an ASK. This key is a 32 character alphanumeric string associated with your Fairplay DRM. Once the process is complete, you can share your private key, challenge password, signed certificate, and the ASK.

Checklist before proceeding:

1. Make sure you understand the overall process.
2. Make sure your hardware and OS is stable enough and has power backup so that it does not shut down unexpectedly. You can not recreate the keys if anything goes wrong, so prepare for such events.
3. In case of any issue, we are always there for help. If you need help with the key generation and signing process, we can offer guidance through a remote desktop session or skype.
4. Understand that it is your responsibility for the safe-keeping of generated keys.

How do we use the above keys?

The Apple FairPlay DRM is a multi-component system. It also requires us to maintain the media keys in our database.

– When the player loads, it requests the signed public certificate.
– The FairPlay DRM device uses the certificate to create a license request.
– The license servers can read the “license request” using the “private key” and corresponding challenge password.
– The ASK is used to create the license containing the content keys.

How do we store your keys?

– We have dedicated license servers and licensing database separate from the rest of our infrastructure. The license database is heavily access controlled.
– We save your encrypted private key for FairPlay DRM in Google Storage or AWS S3 for Video Streaming.
– Private keys and challenge passwords are only accessible from license servers.
– The challenge password and ASK is stored in MySQL Database encrypted by a session key held in license server application.
– The signed certificate is kept in separate S3 and is public readable from a CDN. The FairPlay DRM in the player will load this certificate on your website or mobile app.
– We have set up encrypted backups every 6 hours.

Safe-keeping

Although we take extreme care of your keys, we do not allow retrieving the keys in future. We expect you to safe keep all your keys. You should make sure backups of the keys and ensure that they remain accessible to only authorised persons. As a checklist, here is a list of things to keep for FairPlay DRM.

1. The private key (file)
2. Challenge password (string)
3. ASK (string)
4. Signed certificate (file)

It is recommended not to trust your memory and keep all the files and associated passwords in digital format.

The steps for generating and signing keys

Step 1. Generating key pair with private key (.pem) and signing request(.csr) files.

i) When asked to enter a challenge password, you should first write down the password somewhere safe.
ii) Copy it from there once.
iii) When asked for verification type the password without pasting.

Note that when typing in the terminal, you should not see anything on the screen. That is how the terminal hides passwords.

Step 2. Signing the key requires an active Apple developer program membership.

• Follow the exact process as described in the PDF document provided by Apple.
• You should receive the ASK and need to type it again. Make sure you have it copied to a safe place before typing it again.
• After proceeding, it should ask you to download the certificate file. (.cer)
• The document should ask you to save the certificate in Keychain. This step is only for safekeeping. It does not affect any functionality.

The process is now complete. In the end, you should have the following files safe:

1. Private key file (.pem)
2. Challenge password for the private key
3. ASK
4. Certificate file (*.cer)

Send your Apple Fairplay DRM keys to VdoCipher:

1. To share the above keys with us, use our email info [at] vdocipher.com. Do NOT use any other email or cc another email to the email. This process is to ensure that the files and passwords remain within our systems.
2. You should delete the email from your email servers after receiving confirmation from us.

How To Publish Videos On Your Site/app with Fairplay DRM & VdoCipher

Once you have shared the keys with VdoCipher, we will integrate it with streaming for your account at the backend. You don’t need to do any modifications to integrate VdoCipher. With our standard APIs or plugins, you can integrate our streaming player and enjoy secure embeds in the site or app.

What is The Technology Architecture behind Apple Fairplay DRM

The security of the content stream lies in the way encrypted content is transferred over the internet in a highly secure manner with a black-boxed key exchange mechanism.

FairPlay DRM files are encrypted using the AES algorithm on mp4 container files. The security of any encryption technology lies in the openness/closeness of its key exchange mechanism. For Fairplay DRM, the key for decryption is kept again in encrypted format in a closed box environment. The reason this close box is high secure is that Apple can control the total device and browser environment (Mac & iPhone). It is the same reason that the same DRM can’t work on android or chrome, because Apple can’t implement a hidden box environment in such cases.

Here are some details of DRM + Streaming infrastructure with VdoCipher

• Video Ingestion – You can upload videos through the dashboard, or using our upload APIs.
• Video Transcoding  –
  • Encoding videos to multiple sizes for different devices and net speed.
  • Encrypting the video (CENC).
  • Video File packaging and Key generation from the DRM license server
• Apis or plugins for Video Management 
• Encrypted video files are streamed through Amazon AWS Cloudfront and Google Cloud Platform CDN Edge locations to ensure fast video streaming
• Secure Online Video playback
  • Embed Code to generate Dynamic URLs (HTTP Post request including client secret key to get unique OTP)
  • Unique OTP is then sent by the DRM Server
  • The encrypted video file is decrypted in Browser/ Device’s trusted environment. The video is rendered via the video player, which can switch across different streams of different bitrates.
• Multi-DRM: For content creators wishing to stream across all devices and software, they need a multi-DRM strategy. At VdoCipher we provide Widevine for Chrome, Fairplay for Apple devices, with Flash as a fallback. This multi DRM solution ensures that content providers can fully rely on VdoCipher for distributing content on all devices.

Key Features And Benefits of Apple Fairplay DRM

These are some of the most important features of Fairplay DRM and their benefit.

Hardware DRM support

This feature is similar to widevine’s L1 security. Here you have security at the hardware level. This includes all the client environments that are compatible with Fairplay DRM. Through this you can ensure that screen recording is completely blocked.

Content Key Expiration

Fairplay DRM allows you to create expiring content keys. These expiring content keys allow you to allow playback for a limited period of time. A good example for this would be rental videos online. Also you can fix the number of simultaneous video playback for a single user account. Using this you can restrict the number of users similar to what Netflix does. 

Offline Playback

Fairplay DRM supports the download and offline playback of videos through native app. Apple provides the relevant APIs to handle the downloading of videos and managing the hls content through offline licenses.

How Does FairPlay Streaming Work?

Let’s have a look on how various elements in FairPlay work with each other stream encrypted content.

1. User interacts with the video player on the content provider’s app. 
2. Application then notifies AVFoundation about the video playback
3. AVFoundation downloads the HLS playlist for streaming.
4. AVFoundation then checks the KEY tag in the HLS playlist and ensures if the video file is encrypted. 
5. After the confirmation, AVFoundation requests the encryption key from the AVFoundation app delegate.
6. App delegate in turn asks for Server Playback Context(SPC) data from AVFoundation.
7. Upon receiving the SPC, App Delegate sends the SPC to the key server.
8.  Afer interpreting the SPC data through KSM module, it retrieves the key from the keydatabase.
9. Key server then sends the key to the AVFoundation delegate in the form of Content key context(CKC)
10.  AVFoundation delegate then pushes the CKC data to AVFoundation
11. AVFoundation then decrypts the key and streams the content securely

FAQs on Apple FairPlay DRM iOS

By now you must have got a fair enough idea on Apple FairPlay DRM iOS and Safari Video Security. It is a must-have for video protection on Apple devices.However, if you still have any doubts left about it and want to know more, then here we have mentioned some frequently asked questions. This will give you more understanding of Apple FairPlay DRM iOS:

Does Apple still use Fairplay?

Yes, Apple uses Fairplay DRM to secure its music content and Movie platforms also use Fairplay DRM to secure videos on Mac and IOS.

Does Fairplay DRM support Safari?

Yes Apple Fairplay DRM supports high secure playback in Mac Safari, IOS Safari and IOS App.

How can I get Fairplay License from Apple?

Please contact support@vdocipher.com for a detailed guideline from VdoCipher on applying and integrating Apple Fairplay DRM.

Does Fairplay DRM prevent video downloads?

Yes Fairplay DRM prevents illegal video downloads because of its strong encryption.

Does Fairplay DRM prevent screen capture?

Yes Fairplay DRM also blocks screen capture in Safari & IOS App.

Is Fairplay DRM free?

Apple Fairplay DRM integration is technically handled by DRM companies like VdoCipher to ensure the highest security on IOS and Mac.

How to secure videos from piracy in IOS App?

The highest security in the IOS app is ensured with the integration of Fairplay DRM. VdoCipher provides integration for Fairplay DRM

How to secure videos from piracy in IOS?

The highest security in IOS is ensured with the integration of Fairplay DRM. VdoCipher provides integration for Fairplay DRM.

We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Apple FairPlay DRM: Video Protection on iOS & Safari in 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is HLS Streaming?

HLS Streaming ( HTTP Live Streaming) is a video streaming protocol used for video content across desktop and mobile devices. HLS is developed by Apple, which forms the biggest use case for the streaming protocol. Beyond Apple, there is wide support for HLS streaming across Android devices and browsers. Indeed, HLS can be used as a streaming protocol for all major browsers, including Chrome and Firefox.

In HLS Encryption the video files are encrypted using a secure AES-128 algorithm. The AES 128 encryption is the only publicly available security algorithm that is used by the NSA for encrypting its top-secret classified information.

HLS streaming and HLS Encryption can be used for both the cases of live streaming and for Video on Demand streaming (VOD). Because video streaming is over HTTPS, there is no need for a streaming server, unlike RTMP, which requires its own streaming server.

How & Why Apple Developed HLS Streaming ?

Until about 2010, Flash was the most popular video streaming application. It was supported by all desktop browsers. Because Flash utilized the same runtime across all browsers, it meant that video streamers did not have to create separate workflows for different devices. DRM and encryption were also supported by Flash.

Flash was however plagued by security issues. Video playback on Flash was processor-intensive, which caused phone overheating & mobile batteries to drain very fast. For these reasons Apple did not support Flash in the iPhone and in iPad, instead including support for native HTML5 video playback.

Apple created its specifications for video streaming, which could by both live streaming platforms and for pre-recorded video streaming platforms. Android OS followed suit by blocking flash playback from browsers on Android. From the introduction of the smartphone to the emergence of MPEG-DASH around 2015, Apple’s HLS streaming has been the most widely used protocol.

Because of Apple’s continued support for the protocol, encoding for HLS player is an integral element of any video streaming provider’s workflow.

How does HLS streaming work?

In plain vanilla HTML5 video streaming, only a single video file is available for streaming. The download of the complete video file is initiated every time the stream is played. Even if a viewer watches only 2 minutes of a 30-minute video, the full video would be downloaded, causing data wastage at both the server and the user end.

Streaming protocols remove this inefficiency in video streaming. Streaming protocols such as HLS effectively break down a video file into multiple chunks when streaming, and these video files are downloaded over HTTP in succession. HLS streaming uses the same workflow for both live and for on-demand content. The core idea in multi-bitrate streaming is that multiple renditions of each video, of varying resolution, are encoded. High-resolution videos are delivered to large screen devices having high network bandwidth, whereas lower resolution videos are encoded for mobile phones. Encoding for low resolutions also ensures continuous video streaming when the network connection speed drops.

When the user decides to change video resolution, or when the network bandwidth changes, video streams can be manually (or automatically) switched. HLS video streams are encoded using the H.264 standard, which can be played across all devices. Each of the video copies is broken into multiple chunks having the .ts (transport stream) extension.

There is a main index file, called the manifest file (.m3u8 file format), associated with the video stream. The main manifest file contains links to the specific manifest files associated with each unique video stream. Each of these specific manifest files in its place directs the video stream to the correct URL for video playback when streams are switched. This ensures that stream switching is seamless. This process of a manifest file referring to the video stream is the same for both live video streaming and for on-demand video streaming. The only difference for live video is simply that the video files are being encoded in real-time.

Streaming over HTTP has many advantages over using a separate server. For example, firewalls that may be used to block ports used for RTMP are unlikely to affect video streaming over HTTP. No additional cost are required for streaming over an HTTP server.

Mobile Video Streaming Using HLS Protocol

When users upload a video to a server, it undergoes several phases of processing. Initially, the video is encoded in various resolutions and then segmented into containers, where each segment is indexed in the M3U8 format. This index file is crucial as it is hosted on a server and accessed by mobile applications to retrieve video chunks.

Server Components
Key elements of the server include the encoder and segmenter. The encoder receives the input stream during video upload and encodes it into different formats such as H.264 + MP3 and MPEG-2, creating multiple output streams. These streams are then passed to the segmenter, which divides them into video chunks and generates corresponding index files. Each stream has its distinct index file.

M3U8 File Format
The M3U8 file format is essential for indexing multimedia files. It contains pointers to the locations of video files saved with a .ts extension. These index files are generated by the segmenter and also specify the duration of video chunks, typically set to 10 seconds. They enable dynamic switching between video streams depending on the user’s network bandwidth. The client software autonomously decides the optimal times to switch streams based on network conditions.

Mobile Application Interaction
Mobile applications retrieve the M3U8 index file from the server, which directs them to the required video streams. The application downloads these streams in a sequential manner, and playback begins once enough segments are buffered. As one index file is exhausted, the application proceeds to scan the next until the ‘endlist’ tag is reached.

System Implementation
The development of the mobile application is geared towards enabling users to share videos seamlessly. Users upload videos, which are then encoded and segmented by the HLS server into streamable video slices saved in .ts format. Index files in M3U8 format are generated and uploaded to a storage database. When a user wishes to watch a video, the application sends a request to the server to retrieve the video through the storage, ensuring that the video plays smoothly on the device’s native media player API.

In conclusion, HLS protocol facilitates the streaming of high-quality videos that adapt to varying network conditions. By managing video segments through a manifest file, the mobile application ensures that users can access the best possible video quality based on their current network environment, providing a robust and uninterrupted streaming experience.

What is HLS Encryption? Is HLS Encryption effectively secure against piracy?

HLS AES-128 encryption refers to video streams using HLS streaming protocol wherein the video files are encrypted using the AES-128 algorithms. The key exchange happens through the secure HTTPS protocol. If done in a rudimentary way the key for decryption can be seen from the network console by accessing the manifest file. A poor implementation of HLS encryption would result in plugins automatically finding the key and decrypting the HLS encrypted stream, rendering video security ineffective.

There are however methods to strengthen the HLS Encrypted stream. The challenge is to make sure that the key is not exposed directly. These are the options for additional security in HLS Encryption:

• Not including URL to decryption key in Manifest File

Implementations for this vary widely, and are quite difficult by themselves. This method for protecting HLS content may also cause compatibility issues on devices. If done properly however it is definitely a major improvement in video security.

• Using authenticated cookies for HLS Encryption streaming

In this method, the browser of authorized users stores authentication cookies. These cookies are stored with a digital signature, to ensure that they are not tampered with. This ensures that only the authorised user (and not some external plugin) is seeking to fetch content. The following workflow is used for configuring authentication cookies for HLS encryption:

1. Trusted signers are configured, who have permission to create authentication cookies. This configuration is done at the edge location (content delivery network)
2. Application is developed to send set-cookie headers to authorized viewers
3. Authorized users store name-value pairs in the cookie
4. When user requests protected content, the browser adds the name-value pair in the cookie header to the request
5. The video CDN uses the public key to verify the digital signature in the name-value pair
6. If the authentication cookie is verified, the CDN looks at the authentication cookie’s policy statement. The policy statement determines if the access request is valid. For example, the policy statement could include the beginning and end time for cookie validity.

For further information on authentication cookies for content protection, you can have a look at Amazon Cloudfront’s documentation.

• Signed URLs can be generated for authorized users

The following workflow is used for configuring signed URLs for HLS encryption:

In the CDN trusted signers are created, who have permission to create signed URLs

1. Develop an application to create signed URLs for protected content
2. When user requests protected content by signed URLs, the application verifies if they have the authorization to access it
3. If verified, the application creates a signed URL and sends it to the requesting user
4. On accessing content through a signed URL, the CDN verifies that the URL has not been tampered with. This is done by using the Public Key to verify the digital signature of the URL
5. If the signed URL is valid,
6. The CDN uses the public key to verify the digital signature in the name-value pair
7. If the signed URL is verified, the CDN looks at the signed URL’s policy statement. The policy statement determines if the access request is valid. For example, the policy statement could include the beginning and end times for the signed URL. For protecting content, this period of validity of URLs should be short – as little as a few minutes is optimal. For this you can create dynamic URLs, that change every few minutes.

For further information on signed URLs for content protection, you can have a look at Amazon Cloudfront’s documentation.

All these 3 steps make the video stream considerably immune to direct download through plugins. However, these methods are still breakable by already available codes and tech hacks.

Technical overview of HLS Streaming

HLS streaming or HTTP live streaming is a video streaming protocol to stream audio and video across all major browsers and devices. Here’s a brief overview of how HLS Streaming works.

Source and Encoding: Video content can be either live or recorded and is first encoded into all the relevant formats and quality. The video is also compressed to ensure it can be streamed easily, as raw files are usually pretty big. 

Segmentation and Multiple Formats: After the encoding is done the video is further split into segments of about 10 seconds each. Segmentation makes it easier to switch between video quality, this is done dynamically based on the user’s internet speed. 

Creation of M3U8 Playlist: An M3U8 playlist file is created, which contains information about the video segments of all the different qualities. It guides the player to pick the right segment based on internet speed.

Delivery and Adaptation: All the video chunks and the m3u8 playlist are saved on an HTTP server. When someone streams the video, the m3u8 playlist is downloaded and the video chunks are downloaded. As the internet speed changes, the player chooses the higher or lower-quality video chunks based on it. It ensures a smooth viewing experience with minimal buffering. 

Key Benefits of HLS Streaming

Here are the key benefits of HLS (HTTP Live Streaming):

Compatibility: HLS is compatible with almost all browsers and devices. Initially HLS was limited to Apple devices now it has a much broader range browser it supports.

Adaptive Streaming: HLS ensures a smooth viewing experience by scaling the video quality. It does this based on the user’s internet speed, the quality scales up or down based on the internet speed. This ensures that there is no buffering at lower speeds.

Live and On-Demand: HLS works for both live and recorded streaming. This makes it pretty versatile for streaming different types of content. 

Security: HLS uses AES-128 encryption to encrypt the video chunk, to protect videos from unauthorized access. 

Scalability: HLS offers good scalability to deliver live and record content across global CDN. These CDNs distribute the streaming load among various servers. This distribution strategy efficiently handles sudden increases in viewers, such as unexpected large live audiences, ensuring a stable streaming experience.

Compare HLS with other streaming protocols

Comparing HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) to other video streaming protocols:

MPEG-DASH:

MPEG-DASH is similar to HLS in providing adaptive streaming. But MPEG-DASH is more flexible with different codecs and containers. HLS is more widely supported, especially on Apple devices. MPEG-DASH is gaining popularity due to its open standard nature.

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol): 

RTMP is older and great for low-latency streaming, like live broadcasts. However, it doesn’t support adaptive streaming and is less compatible with modern devices. HLS, while having slightly higher latency, offers better device compatibility and adaptive streaming.

Microsoft Smooth Streaming: 

This is Microsoft’s version of adaptive streaming. It works well with Microsoft devices and software. However, HLS has wider support across various platforms and devices compared to Microsoft Smooth Streaming.

HDS (HTTP Dynamic Streaming): 

HDS is Adobe’s streaming protocol. It’s similar to HLS in adaptive streaming but is less common. HLS has broader support and is more widely used than HDS.

How is DRM level security for HLS Encryption possible?

DRM requires that the key exchange and licensing mechanism is highly secure and is always out of reach of external tools and hackers. A DRM technology also has additional elements. It delivers a license file, which also specifies the usage rights of the viewer. Usage rights specify the conditions in which the video playback is allowed.
Implementation of these usage rights ensures that the signed key used for decryption can only be used for playback on the viewer’s device. The key would simply fail to decrypt the video stream if the video file is copied to any other device.

DRM adds complex layers of workflow for license management. This workflow includes:

Specifying highly detailed usage rights such as

• Limiting video playback on a device to only a fixed number of times
• Video access can expire after a period of days if the subscription is not renewed
• Limiting the device or screen on which the video can be played. For example usage rights can be used to restrict users to cast their video playback on an external device such as a Smart TV.

The license database is also bound to the user’s device, which means that if shared the license and decryption key becomes redundant.

Licenses are also signed with the digital signature, which means that they cannot tamper with either during transit over HTTP or when stored locally on the device.

Implementing DRM along with HLS streaming entails considerable modification of the HLS Encryption infrastructure.  At VdoCipher, we have been able to do that and provide a full-fledged proprietary + HLS DRM. We cannot technically say that we are streaming an HLS encrypted stream as it is highly modified. We use a combination of other technologies based on different platforms and are able to roll out a cross-device, cross-browser compatible DRM.

VdoCipher HLS DRM Infrastructure Details

1. Upload of Videos (All common formats are supported )
   The content can be uploaded through Dashboard or APIs. Upload from desktop, FTP, DropBox, Box, URL, Server all is supported.
2. Encryption & Transcoding for DRM streaming
   Videos are converted into encrypted files, and multiple qualities & versions for ensuring delivery of quality content at all devices, browsers, and all connection speeds. The encrypted content is stored at our AWS S3 servers and raw videos are never exposed. We have set up our custom EC2 instances for the encoding pipeline, and the resultant files are hosted securely on AWS S3 servers.
3. Encrypted Video Streaming (Modified HLS Encryption & Streaming)
   As discussed above the high-security key and license exchange mechanism supports the transfer of encrypted video data, ensuring HLS DRM level security. Dynamic URLs ensure that each playback is authenticated and the URL cannot be extracted outside the website or app for pirated playback. We use multiple top tier CDNs – Cloudfront, Akamai, Google CDN, Verizon to ensure smooth delivery of content all across the globe
4. Decryption in Video Player & Watermarking
   There is a private communication between our API & the client website. This ensures that its not possible for hackers to decrypt our streams. The One Time encryption that we use is theoretically and practically hack-proof. The website embedding the video content requests a One-time password from the VdoCipher web server using the API. This OTP request is made only after the user is authenticated. The VdoCipher API returns the OTP, which is used to render the embed code. This embed code is valid for a single playback session only. Along with the key a usage policy is specified, ensuring that only a logged-in and authenticated user is allowed to playback the encrypted video. The video would simply fail to play if an external plugin or downloader is used to try to access the video file.We have timely modifications to our licensing and authentication mechanism to keep security updated.
5. Watermarking
   Video licensing and playback are combined to generate customisable viewer specific watermarks. The watermark can be IP address, Email ID  and User ID shown in customisable colour & transparency to identify a playback session by the viewer.
6. Result – Progressive High Secure Streaming
   Through this 6-step Video Hosting, Encryption and Streaming process, VdoCipher, as a video hosting software, is able to provide a progressive high security video streaming with future buffer possible. This is also different from RTMP which does not maintain any buffer and can be quite erratic as a result.

You can find out more about DRM Solution here.

Demo Free Trial for HLS DRM Streaming

You can signup for a free full version trial at VdoCipher.

Online businesses also often require features over and beyond video security. VdoCipher fulfills all major requirements for enterprise video hosting. The complete set of features that VdoCipher offers for enterprise video hosting may be found here.

Also, do read our blog on react native video playback.

FAQs

Is HLS DRM protected?

HLS is not protected with DRM by default. Traditionally, HLS streams could only be protected using Apple FairPlay DRM but with new updates, HLS can be protected by Google Widevine DRM in addition to Apple FairPlay DRM.

Is HLS unicast or multicast?

Traditionally, HLS was designed by Apple for Quicktime, Safari, and iOS devices. It did not used to support multicast but with new updates HLS, has emerged as the de facto multicast format for live streaming and video on demand (VOD).

Is HLS better than RTMP?

Moreover, it depends on the use case but HLS has notable advantages which include embedded closed captions, good advertising standards support, synchronized playback of multiple streams, and DRM support. RTMP has advantages of low latency, flexibility, efficient bandwidth usage, and dynamic content delivery.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post HLS DRM, HLS Streaming & HLS Encryption for Content Security appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

A brief categorization is listed at the start and then we dwell on each tool individually. There is no ranking, it is a compiled list of useful popular tools. Let’s dive right in!

Steps in Creating and Selling Online Courses

1. Commit to Creating Your Course – Decide today that you will create an online course. Don’t worry about being an expert; focus instead on committing to the process.
2. Identify a Profitable Course Idea – Explore ideas that align with your interests or existing skills. Consider what problems people face that you could help solve. Check if similar courses exist, which is a good indication that there is a demand.
3. Validate Your Idea – Before investing too much time and resources, test the market’s interest in your course. You could create a mini email-course or pre-sell the course to gauge potential customer interest.
4. Outline Your Course – Develop a clear structure for your course by breaking down the overall problem it solves into manageable steps or lessons. This will help you organize your content effectively.
5. Create Course Content – Focus on delivering valuable content. Use simple tools to create videos or write content. Remember, initial production quality does not have to be perfect; focus on the quality of the information.
6. Set Up Your Course Online – Choose a platform that allows you to easily upload your content, manage customers, and handle transactions. Tools like Zippy Courses can simplify this process.
7. Pricing Your Course – Set a price that reflects the value of the outcomes your course delivers. Consider the costs of alternative solutions and the unique benefits your course offers.
8. Attract and Enrol Students – Build an email list to market your course. Utilize effective marketing strategies to attract students, such as offering free content, using social media, and engaging in online communities.
9. Launch Your Course – Choose between an evergreen model, where your course is always available, or periodic launches, which can create urgency. Use email campaigns and other marketing tactics to reach potential students.

Content Creation Tips

Elearning Video Creation/Production Tools

Elearning video creation tools mainly vary on the basis of what kind of video you want to build. It can be through slides with audio, screencasting, and at times with animations as well. Depending on your needs, you can find the relevant tools for your needs.

Three major methods of eLearning video creation are:

-Narrated Slides
-ScreenCasting
-Animations

Here are some tools, which will help you get the work done.

Camtasia

This screencasting + editor tool offers high flexibility to create long videos and add overlays. Get powerful editing, animation, and interactive features with special effects. You can even upload your videos straight to Vimeo, Facebook, YouTube, and Screencast. I have also used the paid version of this for creating tutorials.

• Pros – Intuitive User Interface, High-Quality Output
• Cons – Higher price point compared to some competitors
• User reviews – “As a long-time user of Camtasia, I can confidently say it’s one of the most user-friendly video editing tools I’ve ever used. It’s fantastic for creating professional-looking tutorials and presentations without needing a degree in video production.”

Powtoon 

Powtoon can help you create animated videos and presentations. Use Powtoon to create engaging online lessons for in-classroom and remote learning. Leverage ready-made templates to drag and drop elements. Powtoon is a user-friendly video creation tool for the less technical video content creator. Customize available templates or design your own with voiceovers, images, and music.

• Pros – User-friendly with drag-and-drop functionality.
• Cons – Limited customization options
• User reviews – “The range of templates makes it easy to get started, even for those of us without a background in animation. However, sometimes I wish there were more customization options to really make our videos unique.”

Animoto

Turn photos and short video clips into full-fledged videos and slideshows. Online course creators can use Animoto to create ads, social posts, tutorials, and newsletters. Choose from a wide variety of ready-made styles and add text or music to your material to convert it into a video.

• Pros – Easy to use, great templates
• Cons – Limited advanced editing features
• User reviews – “I love the drag-and-drop interface and the variety of templates. It’s perfect for quick, professional-looking videos for social media.”

SharpeyeAnimation

SharpeyeAnimation provides custom animated video production for e-learning and marketing businesses on service model. The key features include handmade videos and unlimited revision policy.

Flixtime

Flixtime is a free site you can use to create production-quality, custom videos with text, images, and videos. The tool allows you to create, download, ad share a 1-minute video for free. Flixtime also offers selected award-winning soundtracks and stock music to enhance video appeal.

• Pros – Simple interface
• Cons – Limited functionality
• User reviews – “Flixtime offers a straightforward platform for creating short video clips, but the features are quite basic, which limits creative freedom.”

Screencast-o-Matic

Get fast and free screen recording for material that’s not solely in a browser window. Use options to record screencasts, webcam recordings, or both. With the added ability to record your voice and use a microphone. The Pro Recorder offers editing effects such as drawing on the screen, zooming in, creating options, and sharing tools.

• Pros – Simple interface
• Cons – Limited functionality
• User reviews – “A go-to for screen recording and basic editing. It is affordable and functional, though it lacks some of the advanced features of its competitors.”

                                                              Procedure of developing an E-learning course

Magisto

Turn photos and videos into edited movies. Magisto allows you to capture video from within the app or upload one. Then, select an editing style, soundtrack, and title your video. The app automatically adds special effects and filters to it. Magisto Shot turns photos and text snippets into micro-movies.

• Pros – AI-driven, quick edits
• Cons – Limited user control
• User reviews – “It’s good for quick edits and social media content but doesn’t offer much control.”

ScreenFlow

This intuitive, Mac-only video recording software allows you to screen-record iOS devices. Get access to a stock media library of 0.5+ million media clips to use in videos. The app boasts of several standard video recording features such as GIF creation and annotation capabilities.

• Pros – Comprehensive features, high-quality output
• Cons – Primarily for Mac users, can be pricey
• User reviews – “More than a screen recorder; it’s a powerful editing tool. Ideal for Mac users looking to produce high-quality videos and tutorials.”

VideoScribe

VideoScribe automatically animates anything you position on its canvas. The tool comes with a large library of selected graphics. Other appealing features include voiceover recording, calls to action, soundtracks, and text-adding capabilities. Publish the created video on your website or share it on social or in emails.

• Pros – Unique whiteboard animation, intuitive
• Cons – Niche application
• User reviews – “Perfect for creating whiteboard animations. It’s intuitive and offers a unique way to present information engagingly.”

Wirecast

Use this live streaming video software for conferences, live tutoring, etc. The tool can capture feeds from multiple devices, such as web feeds, microphones, and live camera feeds. Also, get live production software and encoding capabilities.

• Pros – Professional live streaming, high-quality production
• Cons – Steep learning curve
• User reviews – “Wirecast is my go-to for live streaming with professional-grade production. It has a steep learning curve but offers incredible control and quality.”

Screenr

This web-based recorder allows you to seamlessly capture your screen without having to install it. Record a maximum of 5-minute long videos using Screenr. Videos created can be embedded in websites or shared across social media. Screenr works with MAC and PC, and even with an iPhone.

• Pros – Was easy to use
• Cons – No longer available
• User reviews – “Straightforward web-based screen recorder but is no longer available. It was great for quick captures.”

GoPlay

This Windows video recording software lets you create high-definition videos quickly and edit them. A standout feature of GoPlay is the picture-in-picture option. It lets you record both your PC screen and yourself via webcam simultaneously. Editing options include trimming, filters, cropping, and captioning.

• Pros – Easy for beginners, basic screen recording
• Cons – Lacks advanced features
• User reviews – “Decent for beginners with its simple editing tools and screen recording capabilities, but it lacks advanced features for more serious video editors.”

eLearning Video Tools for Editing

Elearning video tools for editing help you fine-tune your videos. You can use these eLearning video tools to trim down your videos and edit all the irrelevant parts. You can add features, overlays, and more.

Camtasia

This screencasting + editor tool offers high flexibility to create long videos and add overlays. Get powerful editing, animation, and interactive features with special effects. You can even upload your videos straight to Vimeo, Facebook, YouTube, and Screencast. I have also used the paid version of this for creating tutorials.

InVideo

InVideo is a versatile video editor with a focus on video marketing. The tool comes with thousands of stickers, images, and text boxes to create engaging video content. The free option includes the entire feature set with 1 GB storage and 720p video resolution.

• Pros – Wide template selection, rich stock media
• Cons – Can be overwhelming for new users
• User reviews – “Offers a lot of creative flexibility with its wide range of templates and stock media, great for creating videos quickly and efficiently.”

Adobe Premiere Pro

This one’s highly popular with professional video editors and post-production professionals. The non-linear editing tool enables direct access through a video acquisition source. It’s stable, responsive, and has all professional features you might need in creating the best online courses.

• Pros – Extensive features, professional-grade
• Cons – High cost, steep learning curve
• User reviews – “Industry standard for video editing. Its vast range of features and integrations makes it the top choice for professionals like us”

iMovie

iMovie is an iOS-based video editing software. Start editing on an iPhone and finish up on a Mac machine. Add beautiful titles and credits. Use picture-in-picture and split-screen effects. And, pick from 10 creative video filters for that cinematic touch.

• Pros – Free for Mac users, user-friendly
• Cons – Limited advanced features
• User reviews – “iMovie is fantastic for quick edits and personal projects. It’s free for Mac users and offers enough features for basic video editing.”

Filmora

Filmora works on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. Get up to 100 layers of media, YouTube and Vimeo export, precision speed control. Use creative filters and split-screen effects, besides several other attractive features.

• Pros – Balanced functionality, easy to learn
• Cons – Watermark in the free version
• User reviews – “For me, it strikes a good balance between functionality and ease of use, offering a range of effects and tools for creators of all levels.”

Blender

Blender is an open-source video editing software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The editor comes with video cutting and splicing features, besides more sophisticated ones such as video masking, audio mixing, waveform visualization, and histogram displays. Blender works for both beginners and advanced video editors.

• Pros – Powerful 3D and video editing, free
• Cons – Complex for beginners
• User reviews – “It is not just for 3D modeling but also has impressive video editing capabilities. It’s free and open-source, though it has a steep learning curve”

Lightworks

Lightworks is for Linux, Mac, and Windows. The free version offers multicam support, high-precision video trimming, a wide range of video formats, and exporting to 720p for YouTube uploading. The tool is best for holistic desktop video editing.

• Pros – Professional features, free version available
• Cons – Challenging for newcomers
• User reviews – “Lightworks is a professional video editing tool that’s free to use. It offers comprehensive features but looks challenging to master.”

Shotcut

Shotcut is another open-source software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It supports a variety of video formats and boasts a collection of tutorial videos. The most striking features include 4k HD resolution support and timeline editing.

• Pros – Open-source, feature-rich
• Cons – Interface can be clunky
• User reviews – “Great open-source video editor with a range of features. It’s a bit clunky at times but offers good flexibility and no cost.”

Pinnacle Studio

Pinnacle Studio is a great video editing software for beginners with rich features. The tool is intuitive and accessible with simple drag-and-drop features. Capture and import material from various sources and include unique effects such as stop-motion and 360-degree editing.

• Pros – Powerful tools and effects
• Cons – Can be complex for simple edits
• User reviews – “Pinnacle Studio provides powerful editing tools and effects which make it ideal for more complex projects, though it may be overkill for simple tasks.”

Splice

This video editing software for mobile is free and fully featured for the iPhone and iPad. Features include trimming, speed control, and custom audio narration.

• Pros – Mobile-friendly, intuitive
• Cons – Limited compared to desktop editors
• User reviews – “Great for mobile editing, with an intuitive interface and decent features for quick, on-the-go video edits.”

FilmoraGo

FilmoraGo is a free mobile alternative of the Filmora software, available on both Android and iOS. Users can create videos without watermarks and time limits and share them directly across social media.

• Pros – User-friendly, good selection of effects and templates
• Cons – Some advanced features are paid
• User reviews – “I’ve been using FilmoraGo for quick mobile edits, and it’s fantastic for that purpose. Easy to use with plenty of effects and templates, it makes video editing on the phone a breeze.”

OpenShot

This is a cross-platform, open-source video editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Top features include title editor with templates, trimming and slicing, unlimited tracks and layers, background removal, Slow-mo, and 3D animations.

• Pros – Free and open-source, simple to use
• Cons – Can be unstable or buggy
• User reviews – “No-cost editing tool with enough features to satisfy most of my video editing needs. It’s open-source and straightforward but can be buggy at times.”

Elearning Quiz Creation Tools

Any eLearning experience wouldn’t be complete without testing the student on how much they’ve learned. Quizzes help students to remain sharp and work as a great tool to enhance learning. This is why every great platform opts for a good eLearning quiz tool.

Edpuzzle

Check if remote learners are watching your content. Know how many times a student is looking at a specific video, and assess if they’re understanding the content. Use videos from Khan Academy, YouTube, Crash Course and more, or upload your own video to add interactiveness.

• Pros – Enhances video interactivity, tracks engagement
• Cons – Limited question type variety
• User reviews – “Edpuzzle has transformed how I create interactive video lessons. It’s easy to integrate questions and track student engagement, although I wish there were more question types.”

PlayPosit

Allow learners to explore and interact with online course material at their pace and interest. Enrich video content with PlayPosit using graded fill-in-the-blanks, multi-choice questions, and quizzes. Accelerate learning through interactive videos.

• Pros – Comprehensive analytics, interactive features
• Cons – Time-consuming lesson creation
• User reviews – “Invaluable tool for building interactive video lessons. The analytics are insightful, but creating bulbs (lessons) can be time-consuming.”

Vizia

Engage viewers into your online course by integrating polls, quizzes, and CTAs into videos through Vizia. Ask questions and multiple-choice quizzes and collect feedback through your online videos.

• Pros – Easy to add interactivity to videos
• Cons – Basic features, limited customization
• User reviews – “It’s quite basic but does the job for creating engaging video content with quizzes and calls to action”

QuizBean

QuizBean is an effective online video quizzing tool that allows embedding videos into quiz questions. Quickly send quizzes to your learners and track student progress with real-time analytics.

• Pros – Quick and easy quiz creation
• Cons – Limited analytics and design options
• User reviews – “An okay platform for quick quizzes. It’s fairly simple and good for rapid quiz creation, but it lacks depth in analytics and design flexibility”

iSpring QuizMaker

iSpring QuizMaker comes with an easy-to-use interface and several quiz design options. It allows you to embed images, audio, and video files within questions, enhancing the learning and assessment effectiveness.

• Pros – Wide range of question types, detailed reporting
• Cons – Learning curve for new users
• User reviews – “The variety of question types and detailed reporting are excellent, though it can be quite complex for beginners.”

Kaltura

Evaluate video engagement and content comprehension by using Kaltura. Include questions and solutions in the video experience. Online video quizzing improves active learning, measurement, and brings a new way to improve learning outcomes.

• Pros – Comprehensive video platform, feature-rich
• Cons – Complex, requires training
• User reviews – “It’s versatile but can be overwhelming without proper training”

EduClipper/Participate

EduClipper is now Participate. The tool is available on web and as an iOS app. It allows creating lesson boards with videos and other multimedia content. Integrate various assessments, including quizzes to track learning.

• Pros – Good for resource curation and collaboration
• Cons – Shifted focus from content curation to professional development
• User reviews – “It’s great for curating educational content and resources. It’s more of a collaborative platform now, focusing on teacher professional development.”

Seesaw

Seesaw offers various options for assessment. The tool works on the web and is also available as an app. It allows teachers to create interactive video lessons to keep a tab on student progress. Ideal for classrooms and remote teaching.

• Pros – Enhances student engagement, easy to use
• Cons – Limited features in the free version
• User reviews – “Seesaw has been a game-changer in student engagement and portfolio management. It’s intuitive for both teachers and students, though I find the free version quite limited.”

Buncee

Buncee is a video creation and communication tool for educators. Create interactive videos and allow students to visualize concepts and learn creatively. It has an interactive drag-and-drop interface to aid in creating multimedia content. Embed quizzes and other forms of assessments with ease.

• Pros – Creative and interactive, user-friendly
• Cons – Costly subscription for full features
• User reviews – “Creative platform for making interactive lessons and presentations. It’s user-friendly and versatile, though the subscription can be pricey for the full suite of features.”

Online Teaching platforms

As an educator, you might not want to go through the hassle of building your own website and video infrastructure. It’s always better to play with your strength. While you focus on creating quality content, you can let these teaching platforms take care of the rest.

Teachable

Create and market your course with custom branding and control over your content/pricing. Build a website. Create a sales page to launch your course. Use coupon codes to accelerate subscriptions. Avail international payment options, affiliate programs, email marketing, and more. Here’s a short comparison of Teachable with other popular video platforms like Teachable vs Thinkific

• Pros – User-friendly interface, comprehensive course-building tools
• Cons – Higher transaction fees on basic plans
• User reviews – “Its user interface is intuitive, making course creation and management straightforward. However, I find the transaction fees a bit steep on the lower-tier plans”

Podia

Create and sell videos online and digital downloads using Podia. You get a separate landing page for your course. Podia lets you immediately publish your course or pre-launch it to build your mailing list. Bundle audios, checklists, and other assets along with video content.

• Pros – All-in-one platform for courses, digital products, and memberships
• Cons – Limited advanced marketing tools
• User reviews – “Podia is a gem for selling digital products and memberships along with courses. It’s all-in-one, so I don’t need separate tools. Yet, I wish it had more advanced marketing features.”

Thinkific

Use a ready-made course structure out-of-the-box. Create your first video course without feeling overwhelmed. Choose from templates such as a flagship course, mini-course, webinar replay, etc. Other features include course bundles, marketing, coupons, promotions, and integrations. You can also do a Thinkific vs Kajabi before getting started as both are equally good and close competitors.

• Pros – Extensive customization options, strong community support
• Cons – Free plan is limited, paid plans required for advanced features
• User reviews – “This robust platform allows me to customize courses extensively. The free plan is great to start with, but moving to a paid plan was necessary for more advanced options”

Teachery

This one comes with zero transaction fees. Best suited for beginners, Teachery lets you access many features without upgrades and commissions. A dedicated support team assists you with taking your online course off the ground.

• Pros – Affordable, straightforward course creation
• Cons – Lacks some advanced features and customization options
• User reviews – “No-frills option for course creation. It’s simple and effective, though it lacks some of the bells and whistles of more expensive platforms.”

Ruzuku

Ruzuku allows you to start and sell online courses fast. Besides, it encourages students to communicate and collaborate, having to track their progress throughout. Seamlessly set up your course with minimal technical know-how. Use features such as support options, daily backups, and teleconferencing.

• Pros – Easy setup, good student engagement features
• Cons – Limited design customization
• User reviews – “I love the direct student engagement features. However, the design options are somewhat limited, which can affect the overall course aesthetic.”

Kajabi

Kajabi takes video course creation to the next level. It also allows you to automate the marketing of your video course. Connect landing pages with checkout pages for exclusive offers and course launches. Upsell and cross-sell existing buyers seamlessly. If you’re looking to compare Kajabi with other LMS platforms, we’ve got you covered with a Kajabi vs Thinkific here.

• Pros – Comprehensive all-in-one solution for course creation, marketing, and sales.
• Cons – Higher cost, may be complex for beginners
• User reviews – “It offers extensive tools for course creation, marketing, and sales. It’s an investment, but for a full-service platform, it’s worth it.”

WizIQ

Sell video courses and mock tests. Besides, WizIQ allows you to hold live classes. Virtual classrooms in this tool are full of features such as YouTube video streaming, screen sharing, live chat, polling and surveying, along with whiteboards, circuit diagrams, shapes, graphs, and maps.

• Pros – Excellent for live training and webinars, good virtual classroom features
• Cons – Steep learning curve, somewhat dated interface
• User reviews – “WizIQ’s virtual classroom environment is excellent for live training sessions. The learning curve is a bit steep, but it’s a solid choice for real-time teaching and training.”

Learnworlds

Set up your own online school with multiple teachers, websites, and a course catalog. Add instructors and their corresponding courses. Learnworlds allows you to become an admin and offer as many online video courses as you’d like. Get features such as custom domain names, coupons, and payment gateway.

• Pros – Strong interactive and social learning features, high customization
• Cons – overwhelming due to feature richness, higher price point
• User reviews – “Fantastic for creating interactive and social learning experiences”

Academy of Mine

Get a full website to launch your online video course. Choose from a fully hosted template that offers landing pages, galleries, and course offering pages. Generate chapters and units, embed quizzes, assignments, and give out badges and certificates.

• Pros – Highly customizable, great for enterprise-level training
• Cons – Expensive, more suitable for established businesses or professionals
• User reviews – “Comprehensive, customizable platform suited for high-end course creators. It’s expensive, but you get what you pay for in terms of capabilities and support.”

Udemy

With over 20000subject matter experts, Udemy has disrupted the educational ecosystem. The e-learning platform comes with tools to create PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and videos to curate the perfect course.

• Pros – Large audience reach, no upfront costs for course hosting
• Cons – High competition, limited control over pricing and student data
• User reviews – “Great for reaching a broad audience, but the competition is fierce, and revenue share can be disappointing. It’s perfect for starting out and testing the waters in online teaching.”

Educadium

Through its EasyCampus platform, Educadium allows entrepreneurs and organizations to create, manage, and earn from online video courses. Use a plethora of features for course designing and publishing.

• Pros – Simple, budget-friendly platform
• Cons – Basic functionality, limited scalability
• User reviews – “Straightforward, budget-friendly platform for hosting online courses. It doesn’t have all the advanced features, but it’s reliable and easy to use”

Skillshare

Almost all courses on Skillshare have two key components- video and class projects. Earn through Skillshare’s Partner Program by enrolling 25 learners per class, and a few other pre-requisites. Top teachers on this platform make nearly $40000 annually.

• Pros – Community-focused, good for creative content
• Cons – Pay based on student engagement, limited control over course pricing
• User reviews – “Earning potential is based on engagement, which is a double-edged sword but motivates creating compelling content”

CourseCraft

Turn your blog into a course. The editor of CourseCraft is simple and powerful to create various kinds of courses. It’s integrated with PayPal and Stripe. Run discounts and offers. Students can collaborate with peers and instructors to create a knowledge ecosystem.

• Pros – Easy to use, good for small-scale course creators
• Cons – Lacks advanced analytics, limited customization options.
• User reviews – “Simple and effective for launching courses quickly. While it lacks some advanced analytics and customization, its ease of use makes it a good option for beginners.”

Here’s a comparison of 3 of the most commonly used Online Teaching Platforms i.e. Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi

WordPress LMS Plugins

If you don’t want to opt for an eLearning teaching platform, you can always go for WordPress and use an LMS plugin, and voila, you get your own platform.

WordPress LMS Plugins allow you to create classes, share assignments, and resources with your students. They are quintessential when it comes to a WordPress-based teaching platform.

LifterLMS

This one is a powerful WordPress plugin that makes it easier for you to create and sell online video courses on your site. LifterLMS focuses on engagement with features such as achievement badges, social learning, 1:1 private coaching, and certificates. Monetize the LMS platform by selling site-wide membership, bundling courses, and selling individual courses.

• Pros – Comprehensive with deep integration options.
• Cons – Can be costly with advanced add-ons.
• User reviews – “LifterLMS offers a wide range of features that cater to all my e-learning needs. It’s a bit pricey when you start adding multiple extensions, but the functionality is top-notch.”

LearnDash

LearnDash is a superior LMS plugin that makes it a breeze to create and sell courses, quizzes, award certificates, etc. Support gamification, micro-content, and social learning through your online video courses with this cutting-edge plugin. Encourage students to earn points by completing courses to unlock new courses, facilitating engagement.

• Pros – Feature-rich, highly flexible.
• Cons – Steeper learning curve.
• User reviews – “LearnDash has transformed how we deliver online courses. The learning curve was a bit challenging at first, but it’s incredibly powerful once you get the hang of it.”

WooCommerce Sensei

Sensei comes with an extension for WooCommerce. Add it to an e-commerce store that sells online video courses. The basics of Sensei are simple- create courses, write lessons, and add quizzes. The standout factor of Sensei is its seamless integration with WooCommerce. Leverage course analytics, quizzes, automated quiz grading, WordPress-like user registration, and easy pricing/charging.

• Pros – Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce.
• Cons –  Limited features compared to standalone LMS solutions.
• User reviews – “Integrating Sensei with my WooCommerce store was straightforward, making it easy to sell courses. However, I find it lacking in advanced LMS features that other platforms offer.”

LearnPress

The cleanest and simplest choice for a WordPress LMS plugin is LearnPress. One downside here is the customer support that’s not as robust as with other premium plugins. Activate a few add-ons to make your online course website as advanced as you’d like. Use add-ons for course reviews, wishlists, pre-requisites, and importing or exporting capabilities.

• Pros – Free with optional premium add-ons.
• Cons – Support can be inconsistent.
• User reviews – “LearnPress is a cost-effective solution for my online courses. While it’s great for a tight budget, getting timely support can sometimes be a hassle.”

CoursePress Pro

CoursePress Pro retired in May 2019 and is no longer supported by WPMUDev. The code is available on GitHub if you want to fork and maintain it. Use CoursePress Pro if you need several learning websites. Connect with over 13 payment gateways, upload quizzes, automate instructor feedback, and upload audio, video, text, and course files.

• Pros – Offers a wide range of e-learning features.
• Cons – Has been discontinued in favor of other solutions.
• User reviews – “CoursePress Pro was a comprehensive tool for creating and managing online courses. It’s a shame it has been phased out for newer platforms.”

WP Courseware

Use WP Courseware for less complicated pricing. It’s used by the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin Madison. Speak with active tutors on the member portal, use the seamless drag-and-drop designer, integrate with your preferred e-commerce plugin, or run a multi-instructor system by assigning each teacher a specific role.

• Pros – Drag-and-drop course creation, user-friendly.
• Cons – Lacks some advanced features.
• User reviews – “WP Courseware made it easy for me to create courses. While it’s fantastic for getting up and running quickly, I wish it had more depth in some areas.”

Good LMS

Create courses like you would a WordPress blog post with this one. Build quizzes, certificates, and courses right from the WP Dashboard. Features include coupon codes, real-time countdowns, process lines, and student backends where learners can see their scores, badges, progress, and retake quizzes.

• Pros – Cost-effective with essential LMS features.
• Cons – Not as feature-rich as other LMS options.
• User reviews – “Good LMS is a budget-friendly option for setting up courses. It covers the basics well, though it doesn’t have the advanced features of more expensive LMS platforms.”

MasterStudy LMS

Easily customize, create, and manage online video lessons with MasterStudy LMS. Use variety in lessons with slideshows, videos, and text. Display correct and incorrect answers in quiz results. Leverage a messaging and announcement system and seamless certificate creation. While offering all core features, MasterStudy LMS lags in allowing gamification of the learning experience.

• Pros – Integrated with a powerful theme, visually appealing.
• Cons – Can be a bit cumbersome to customize.
• User reviews – “MasterStudy LMS looks great and offers a good user experience. Customizing it to fit my exact needs can be tricky, but overall, it’s a solid choice.”

Membership 2

This membership WP plugin comes as a free software with a paid pro version. It’s designed for ease-of-use for the beginner course creator. Use the how-to guide to kickstart your online video course creation journey. Grant content access for lessons and courses to various membership levels.

• Pros – Integrates with WordPress for membership-based sites.
• Cons – Development and updates are limited.
• User reviews – “Membership 2 was easy to integrate with my WordPress site for managing memberships, though it seems to lack regular updates and new features.”

WP eMember

This one offers a robust plugin with bot content protection and features such as Drip content capabilities. Create multiple membership levels, grant differential access to content, and use in-page partial protection with shortcodes. Effectively minimize content piracy risk in your online video courses.

• Pros – Simple membership management, integrates well with WordPress.
• Cons – Basic functionality, lacks some advanced features.
• User reviews – “Straightforward for managing site memberships. It’s pretty basic but does the job effectively for a simple membership setup.”

Namaste! LMS

This free LMS plugin allows you to create different rules to access courses after completing pre-requisite courses. Features include grading system, certificates, badges, and a progress bar that shows students how far they’ve come in a course. It’s a simplistic LMS plugin for the beginner course creator.

• Pros – Free and straightforward LMS plugin.
• Cons – More suitable for basic e-learning setups.
• User reviews – “Decent start for someone new to online course delivery. It’s quite basic, but for a free tool, it provides good value.” 

Payment gateways

After you’ve done setting up your website, a payment gateway is the next big step. After all, you can create the best platform for your users. If you are not able to monetize it, or users are not able to pay due to several reasons. It can be pretty counterproductive for you as an eLearning platform.

Pricing Strategy

PayPal

PayPal is one of the most trusted payment gateway, ideal for your online course website. It charges a monthly fee for Advanced and Pro users. The customer support and ease of use make it an appealing option. While it has higher transaction fees, flexibility, and ease of integration make it worthwhile.

• Pros – Widely accepted, easy to use.
• Cons – Fees can be high, account freezes reported.
• User reviews – “PayPal is incredibly convenient and trusted worldwide. However, I’ve had issues with unexpected account limitations, which can be a hassle.”

Stripe

Stripe is customizable, quick, secure, and easy to set up. Allow customers to buy your course directly from a tweet or save card information for one-click checkouts. Stripe can help you accept alternative forms of currency, such as ACH and Bitcoins.

• Pros – Excellent API, seamless integration.
• Cons – Not available in all countries.
• User reviews – “Stripe’s integration into my platform was smooth, and their developer tools are top-notch. Just wish they were available in more countries.”

RazorPay

Offer your course buyers net banking, wallets, and all card options to pay for your content. RazorPay is one of the faster-growing payment gateways. Easily integrate with your online video course website. Primarily an Indian company but supports international payment way.

• Pros – Tailored for Indian market, feature-rich.
• Cons – Limited global reach.
• User reviews – “Razorpay has been a game-changer for my India-based business, offering many localized payment options. However, its services are limited outside India.”

CCAvenue

One of the longest-service gateways, CCAvenue, is considered highly reliable and trusted. Customer trust is critical in the payment processor industry and CCAvenue banks on that. Integrate it with your site for secure payments.

• Pros – Wide range of payment options, strong in Indian market.
• Cons – User interface can be clunky.
• User reviews – “CCAvenue supports an extensive array of payment methods, which is great for my customers in India, but the user interface feels outdated.”

WePay

WePay can handle complex payment requests such as crowdfunding campaigns and multiple payers. The payment gateway is tailored for both international as well as domestic markets. WePay even offers modern payment options, such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. It conforms to your unique needs, setting itself apart from other platforms.

• Pros – Good for platform businesses, integrated payments.
• Cons – Limited to US and some other countries.
• User reviews – “WePay offers great solutions for platform-based businesses like mine, but its geographic availability is too restricted.”

Authorize.net

Use a host of flexible and trusted payment options designed for small and medium businesses. Besides payment options such as checks and mobile payments, Authorize.net also caters to recurring and subscription billing. Use in-site ordering, simplified PCI compliance, custom checkout pages, and an Advanced Fraud Detection Suite.

• Pros – Reliable and secure, wide acceptance.
• Cons – Setup can be complex, fees.
• User reviews – “Authorize.net is a stalwart in online payments, known for reliability. Setting it up was a bit complex, and there are various fees to consider.”

2Checkout

2Checkout offers heavily customizable hosted checkouts and seamless integrations, leaving the checkout experience on brand. Set up your business globally with 15 different languages and 87 currencies. Use an easy-to-incorporate payment API to embed credit card processing on your site.

• Pros – Global payment acceptance, multiple currency options.
• Cons – Higher fees and complex fee structure.
• User reviews – “2Checkout expands my market reach globally and handles multiple currencies”

PayUBiz

PayUBiz offers a wide variety of customizations for both small and mid-sized businesses. With a fast merchant onboarding process, get your gateway setup instantly. PayUBiz focuses on user experience, and so do you as an online video course creator.

• Pros – Tailored for the Indian market, comprehensive features.
• Cons – Can be complex to integrate.
• User reviews – “PayUBiz provides a robust payment solution for my business in India, but integration was more complicated than I expected.”

InstaMojo

This is one of the cheaper options for a payment gateway. No installation costs, and highly recommended for businesses offering physical goods. However, for digital goods, their transaction discount rate is five percent. Setup your website with InstaMojo and integrate seamless payment processes for success.

• Pros – Simple setup, instant payment collection.
• Cons – Primarily for the Indian market.
• User reviews – “InstaMojo made it really easy to start collecting payments for my small business, though it’s mainly suitable for Indian users.”

Worldpay

This is a UK-based (global) service offering omnichannel payment solutions for businesses of all sizes. Pay as you go or pick a monthly payment option as per your needs. Leverage automated billing, customizable loyalty cards, card updates, card-on-file support, and simplified backend payment settlement.

• Pros – Global reach, wide range of payment options.
• Cons – Customer service can be slow, complex fee structure.
• User reviews – “Worldpay’s global payment capabilities are impressive, but I’ve experienced slow customer service responses and the fees can be confusing.”

GoEmerchant

Don’t want a contract-based solution? GoEmerchant is a monthly service offering simple and straightforward features with a pre-configured web store design. Set up an eCommerce platform from scratch with a web storefront, payment gateway, and a customer account management platform. Configure your gateway and set up a merchant account, hassle-free.

• Pros – Integrated solutions for online and physical stores.
• Cons – Pricing can be opaque.
• User reviews – “GoEmerchant offers a good range of services for both my online and offline sales, though getting clear pricing information was challenging.”

Merchant One

Competitive rates with this payment gateway can allow online teachers with the slimmest margins to earn good revenue. Easily set up a merchant account and start accepting credit card payments quickly. The only downside is that you need to sign a contract that comes with cancellation charges.

• Pros – Offers solutions for high-risk merchants.
• Cons – Reports of aggressive sales tactics and hidden fees.
• User reviews – “Merchant One was one of the few processors willing to take on my high-risk business, but be wary of aggressive sales tactics and unclear fees.”

MerchantPlus

This one is a great e-learning course payment gateway if you need competitive rates, advanced customer support choices, and shopping cart features. This is an ideal choice for a reliable, easy, and simple solution for e-learning professionals. The credit card processing system easily integrates with most shopping cart software, accounting software, and web stores.

• Pros – Competitive rates, good for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Cons – Customer support issues reported.
• User reviews – “MerchantPlus offered competitive rates for my business, but I’ve found their customer support could be more responsive.”

Video Hosting & Player Options

Opting for video hosting is the best option for anyone with their own website. It is always recommended to keep your website’s hosting and video hosting to be separate. As in case of using the same for both can put a heavy load on your website and in turn disrupt user experience. These video hosting services not only cater to the hosting part, but also gives you an access to complete video infrastructure required to stream your videos online.

VdoCipher

VdoCipher.com provides video hosting for online course businesses to help them stream content on their site/app in a most secure and smooth manner. The key features are the highest security from video piracy through Hollywood Grade DRM encryption & watermarking technologies; and smoothest streaming at slow connections due to optimized encoding at lower sizes. Packaged offerings include Amazon AWS server + CDN integration, Transcoding,  API & Plugin integration, Custom Player, Offline app playback & Per video analytics. VdoCipher already serves e-learning and media businesses from 40+ countries with its offerings.

Brightcove

Brightcove encourages its users to leverage videos to move their business in critical ways. This could be in distributing, communicating, showcasing, or venture exchanges. This is a great video hosting platform if you are looking for high speed and more power over your video content.

Wistia

This one is a popular old tool for video hosting for entrepreneurs. Pay based on the number of recordings, and get the first three for free. Use more detailed analytical capabilities, adjust display dimensions, password-protect videos, add CTA links and lead capture forms, and include SEO keyword phrases in your video description and title.

Vimeo

Get an attractive interface to distribute your online video content. While the transferring space is limited, the incredible examination framework compensates for it. Get several customization options, powerful analytics capabilities, higher quality video display than YouTube, no ads and popups, and a strong network.

Kaltura

Flip traditional teaching with Kaltura as your online video hosting platform. Get gamification features, intuitive UX, and leverage the current trends in video creation with this leading video hosting platform for online course creators. Use excellent support and improve learning outcomes for your students.

Panopto

This is an ideal platform for online course hosting for colleges and businesses alike. Use features such as live streaming, recording, and sharing video content. With little to no technical know-how, Panopto allows you to host videos seamlessly for better learner engagement.

YouTube

Use YouTube and create a full-time career as an online course tutor. The SEO value of optimized video makes this platform attractive. Embed YouTube videos on your site or landing pages, enable video sharing, encourage subscriptions, and earn through the ads platform.

Video Hosting/Website Server options

In case you are looking to host the content of your courses including the videos on your own (instead of going for a 3rd party video hosting platform), then below are the popular cloud options.

Amazon AWS Cloud

Use Amazon AWS Cloud for two streaming services- on-demand video streaming and live video streaming. Use flexible pricing with the pay-as-you-go model, leverage 99.99 percent content availability, support data security, and features such as storage optimization.

Google Cloud Platform

With the Google Cloud Platform, render huge workloads at peak hours, live stream video to masses, and launch new applications. Use Google’s Anvato for video broadcasting and OTT content delivery. Generate closed captions in over 80 languages and rest assured about your video content’s security, reach, and availability.

Microsoft Azure Cloud

Decrease the complexity and cost of cross-platform content. Use streaming services for local, low-scale streaming. Leverage DVR workflow capabilities and prepare video assets with required quality resolutions and levels for any device. Get flexible pricing and inexpensive video hosting.

Akamai

This video hosting server can eliminate challenges concerning the preparation, delivery, and monetization of online video content. Minimize complexity with a managed service for streaming with a video hosting server monitored 24/7 by specialists. Provide a premium viewing experience to your viewers by extending video libraries and streaming videos to any device seamlessly.

Domain name providers

Godaddy

One of the oldest players in this industry, GoDaddy offers a wide variety of popular domain extensions to choose from. Get a huge discount on your first year of domain registration on GoDaddy. The powerful domain management interface makes it a breeze to transfer your domain name or change its settings.

Bluehost

This one is one of the largest hosting companies, also an official WordPress hosting partner. Get started for $2.75 per month and get reliable support and customer service as part of your domain registration.

HostGator

A one-stop-shop for domain names and shared site hosting. They also offer domain privacy, extensions, and easy DNS management tools. Quickly find a suitable domain name and manage domain names seamlessly within the domain management area.

Namecheap

The powerful domain search tool helps you find the right domain name. Also, use add-on services such as premium DNS and domain privacy. A standout feature si that they offer free domain privacy with all domain names. The domain management tool might not be the ideal one out of all options here.

DreamHost

DreamHost is another known name in the market for domain names registration. Get 400+ TLDs and all domain management tools you can expect from a large service provider. Register a domain without hosting or get both services under one umbrella.

Shopify

Start an e-commerce store to sell your online courses without any technical proficiency with Shopify. Quickly set up your store using a custom domain name. Also, get the option to move your domain name to another service when need be. One downside is that Shopify doesn’t offer email addresses along with the domain names.

Domain.com

This provider specializes in domain names, VPS hosting, web hosting, SSL certificates, email, and online marketing services. No matter which hosting plan you choose, get at least one free domain name with SSL certificate, unlimited disk space, e-commerce solutions, and marketing tools- everything you might need for your online course website.

Moodle LMS

Moodle LMS is a world-leading online learning management system with hundreds of millions of users around the globe. Exploring the essentials of Moodle Video Hosting can also enhance your educational content. Kickstart your Moodle online course with ready-made templates, use analytics and reporting to increase student engagement, and earn better learning outcomes through your online video courses.

Online resources to learn how to set up an online course

How to Create an Awesome Online Course on UdemyIn this Udemy course, learn about the opportunities for monetizing your online courses. Validate the course idea, promote your course, and monetize. Also, get more information on the hardware and software needs of setting up a course.
How to Create, Sell, and Profit from an Online Course from PodiaWatch the one-hour video or read the 12,000-words guide. This resource breaks down creating an online course into easy parts such as deciding if it is right for you, finding your course idea, creating an outline, building the course content, setting a price on it, choosing a launch model, selling the course through email marketing, and so on.
Create and Sell Your Own Online Course from TeachableRegister for an online webinar by Teachable to learn how to create an online course on the platform. The webinar promises you to create your first course on the platform without any technical headaches. You will need to submit your email address to register for the webinar.
10 Steps to Creating a Wildly Successful Online Course on ThinkificThis 16-minute read breaks down the gigantic rock of creating and selling an online course on the web. Discover the ten major phases of creating an online course. Pick the perfect topic, ensure there is demand, create better learning outcomes, select and curate course content, and more with this guide that makes course creation sound like a child’s play.
How to Create an Online Course- a Step-by-Step Guide on LearnworldsThis is a massive guide to help you learn how much money you can make with an online course, the types of courses you can choose from, how you can bypass any mental blocks, create an online course step-by-step, and more. This is a different kind of content to help you get to creating and not think more about it.
How to Make Money with an Awesome Online Course: Social TriggerThis is a complete guide again. Right from committing to create a course, choosing a profitable idea, testing your idea, to getting students registered and launching your course. This guide also includes further resources in each of the steps, like a course idea worksheet to help you make decisions faster.

Elearning field famous blogs

Elearningindustry.com

This one is a top resource for everyone working or getting into the e-learning industry. Get hundreds of free resources, including webinars, ebooks, and articles about the left and right in the eLearning industry. The website also allows you to guest post articles to earn backlinks to your website.

Edtechreview.in

Get infographics, case reports, videos, books and documents, webinars, and courses all in one place. This blog is a comprehensive compilation of everything that’s new and hot in the e-learning industry. Publish a guest post and backlink to your website.

Coursera

Coursera has partnered with universities to offer students and learners free information on a wide variety of topics. The blog updates with three blog posts per week.

TeacherTube

This is a free community for sharing educational and instructional videos and content for teachers and students alike.

Swift E-learning and Training Blog

Swift E-learning is a top service provider in India, offering custom e-learning and software solutions to companies around the globe. Get in the know of the latest happenings, trends, and software freebies in the e-learning industry.

Online platforms to sell courses directly

Coursera

Some of the world’s best companies and universities such as the University of Stanford, Michigan, and Duke use Coursera to publish online video courses.

Lynda

Now LinkedIn Learning, this online course marketplace caters to business professionals. Add certifications and publish an online course seamlessly. 

Presentation & Infographic creation

Visme

While videos and text are the common teaching medium; adding detailed creative presentations and infographic gives the additional attractivity to your courses. Visme.co is one such popular tool that helps you add powerful visual stories in the form of engaging presentations, infographics, and other visual content.

FAQs

What are online course creation tools?

Online course creation tools are software applications that help educators and trainers design, develop, and deliver e-learning content. These tools can range from video production and editing software to learning management systems (LMS) and quiz creation applications, supporting various aspects of course development and delivery.

Are there free online course creation tools available?

Yes, there are free tools available, though they may offer limited features compared to paid versions. Tools like Moodle or Google Classroom can be used to create and deliver courses without a financial investment.

How can I evaluate the effectiveness of my online course?

Utilize analytics and feedback tools within the course creation platform to track engagement, completion rates, and learner feedback, which can help in evaluating and improving the course content.

Planning your online video course? Use resources mentioned above to create the best one yet. Did we forget to include your favorite solution or tool? Let us know in the comments below.

References:

https://www.vdocipher.com/blog/2016/11/wordpress-plugins-for-elearning/
https://www.wildapricot.com/articles/online-payment-services#best
https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/10-online-payment-gateways-compared/
https://www.learningrevolution.net/sell-online-courses/
https://www.getcloudapp.com/blog/best-video-recording-software
https://filmora.wondershare.com/screen-recorder/best-free-video-captures.html
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/15-04-2018-top-10-video-editing-tools-for-small-business
https://learn.g2.com/11-best-free-video-editor-tools-beginners/
https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2017/02/6-excellent-tools-for-creating.html
https://americantesol.com/blogger/videoquizsites/
https://www.isitwp.com/best-wordpress-lms-plugins-compared/
https://medium.com/@didolores/8-online-teaching-platforms-that-will-make-you-want-to-teach-online-1b9b23dc2503
https://oedb.org/ilibrarian/6-free-platforms-teaching-online/
https://www.vdocipher.com/blog/2019/08/video-hosting-platform-online-courses/

Planning your online video course? Use resources mentioned abover to create the best one yet. Did we forget to include your favorite solution or tool? Let us know in the comments below.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post 101 Online Course Creation Tools appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

 In this blog, I’ll explore video playback in Flutter and how VdoCipher comes into this. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to seamless video playback in Flutter!

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source mobile app development framework by Google. It is currently very popular due to 

• Ease of development of apps across the platforms of Android, iOS, and even the web.
• Speed of development is also another factor that is pushing developers to go for flutter apps. 
• In VdoCipher’s experience, we get a higher demand for flutter integration than react-native integration.

Video Hosting and Playback is a crucial features for many mobile apps developed on flutter. VdoCipher provides a flutter video SDK that ensures smooth playback and security from illegal video downloads and screen capture.

Key Features for a Flutter Video Player possible with VdoCipher SDK

Custom flutter video player with controls

With the customizable smart video player, you can truly make your video player your own. You can change the theme and colors of the video player to suit your branding. Choose what controls you want to show your users in order to optimize their user experience. All these controls can be enabled via the dashboard and even with API to create automated workflows. You also get support for video playback on iOS, Android, HTML5, and react native. You can ensure that the colors of the player are according to your brand, giving you much more flexibility to showcase your videos along with the style of your brand. You can even customize what controls you want to show to your users, including chapters for navigation, search through the transcription, and much more.

Adaptive player with multiple video qualities

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming will ensure that your users’ video quality scales with their network. This will ensure that there will be no buffering in the video on low network bandwidth as the video will automatically scale to lower quality and as the network improves so will the quality

Features like speed change, forward-rewind, and multi-lingual subtitle.

With our flutter video player, you get the option to keep features like speed change, you can choose which speed change options you want to show your audience. Our flutter player also supports multilingual subtitles, you can give them the option to choose which language they want the subtitles in.

Flutter DRM encryption support to prevent illegal downloads and screen capture.

Our flutter video playback is secured with DRM encryption. Ensuring that your videos can’t be downloaded at all and the screen capture will also be blocked on the Flutter video streaming app. DRM is far better than basic encryption because of its secure key exchange mechanism that is protected under a hardware-backed black box. On the app, DRM also provides screen capture protection.

Dynamic watermarking to deter Screen Capture

To add an additional layer of security over the DRM, the VdoCipher player allows you to enable a dynamic watermark that captures the dynamic details of the user like IP, email, etc., and displays it over the video. This deters the screen capture or screen recording attempts.

Offline secure download and playback

Users who have network issues can also use the offline download feature in such a manner that videos can not be taken out of the app. Also, VdoCipher has now started providing web users with an offline download feature as well.

Picture in Picture (PIP) mode

For overlay and advanced video viewing experience, picture-in-picture mode is also available.

VdoCipher flutter video plugin

How to Integrate Videos with Flutter for Android and iOS Apps?

1.VdoCipher trial account – Create a trial account with VdoCipher at vdocipher.com, and upload 1 or 2 test videos to the dashboard. 

2. Integration Flutter VdoCipher video SDK – Click on the ‘embed’ button below any video in the dashboard, and go to the ‘mobile app’ section. It has the relevant SDK links and also steps on how to first integrate the backend APIs available in the ‘custom backend’ section.  Detailed steps for the SDK integration are mentioned here – https://pub.dev/packages/vdocipher_flutter

A sample projection creation video tutorial is also available on this page (2nd video)

3. DRM integration for flutter video player – Google Widevine DRM is default included in the android flutter integration. Fairplay DRM integration for the ios flutter app requires an additional step which is explained in the dashboard config section here, let us know on support if you want to proceed with it.

4. Dynamic user-based watermark and Screen Capture block with flutter videos – To configure the user-specific watermark in Flutter, you require no change in the front end. The only change required during backend integration in OTP parameters, sample watermark code, and steps to integrate are here. (check all the steps on the left panel including the watermark)

iOS playback with flutter can not have a watermark but with fairplay drm integration, screen capture is totally blocked in iOS app. Screen capture block is also default present in Android flutter app.

5. Custom Flutter Video Player – VdoCipher provides 2 forms of player integration with its
1st is Player UI integration, which provides a ready-to-use video player with flutter. This Player UI is very easily customizable directly from the dashboard. Player customization tutorial is here.

2nd is a sample player that you can edit from scratch and have as per your requirements.

6. Offline secure download and playback  – Offline download is possible by customizing the backend OTP parameter and setting a time expiry to it. Document here.

7. PIP mode is also possible with VdoCipher SDK.

8. Video Management is possible through a dashboard or APIs on the VdoCipher account.

Why is Playing Flutter Videos Directly from a Video URL not Secure? 

As seen in the above steps, VdoCipher provides a detailed API backend authentication mechanism to play videos. It does not simply fetch a non-encrypted video from a direct video URL and tries video streaming in Flutter. The reason for this is that playing directly from the video URL is not secure and any hacker or tool can sniff the network and get access to raw videos. 

Compressing Videos in Flutter 

One key advantage of using the VdoCipher video hosting solution is that the video compression and creation of optimum different qualities for playback is directly handled by VdoCipher. You can upload the raw video file while VdoCipher takes care of the video compression, video transcoding, and video encryption. 

How is Video Hosting Taken Care Of With VdoCipher Flutter Video Playback?

When you upload the videos to the Vdocipher account, they are stored in the AWS cloud and served globally across all 6 continents via CloudFront CDN. The transcoding, and encryption is taken care of by VdoCipher through AWS compute instances. VdoCipher already serves 3000+ video websites/apps across 120+ countries with this solution. Flutter Video Streaming integration is the hottest VdoCipher integration these days. 

What Are All The Flutter Video Player Features That Come Along with VdoCipher SDK?

• Adaptive multi-quality playback, video quality changes as per user internet speed.
• Speed change options (which are customizable as per your needs)
• Forward rewind 5/10 second.
• Multi-lingual subtitles and caption search
• Chapters
• PIP mode
• Disable any control (e.g. timeline, speed change, etc.)

How Can I See a Flutter Video Player Example?

The Flutter Video player example is here

What Is a Flutter Video Player?

Flutter video player is basically a pre-built widget that uses Flutter’s video_player plugin to ensure video playback functionality on an app built through Flutter. The video_player plugin can be used to stream any stored video file or on the internet.

Flutter video player users AVPlayer on iOS to stream videos and exoplayer in case of Android.

All in All

Flutter is a great cross-platform app that is being widely used for Android, iOS, and even the web. Flutter video playback has become more crucial than ever as almost every platform wants to leverage video to drive user engagement. 

VdoCipher’s Flutter video player supports video playback in iOS and Android. Our flutter players come loaded with features like custom player, DRM protection, watermark, and more. We have enabled more than 3000+ customers in over 120+ countries.

FAQs

How do I use VdoCipher with Flutter for secure video streaming?

To integrate VdoCipher in Flutter for secure video streaming, you’ll need to use the VdoCipher Flutter SDK. This involves registering for a VdoCipher account, obtaining your API keys, and using the SDK to embed secure video players in your Flutter app. The process ensures that your video content is securely encrypted and streamed, protecting against piracy.

How can I implement a video player with controls in Flutter?

Implementing a video player with controls in Flutter involves using the video_player package along with a customizable UI for play/pause, volume, and fullscreen options. You can start by adding the video_player package to your pubspec.yaml file, then use the VideoPlayerController to load and control your video. A typical flutter video player with controls example includes creating a VideoPlayerController from a network or asset video and wrapping it in a VideoPlayer widget with a custom overlay for controls.

What are the best practices for hosting videos for Flutter applications?

Flutter video hosting applications efficiently requires selecting a reliable video hosting service that offers good streaming quality, bandwidth, and storage options. Services like Firebase, AWS S3, or VdoCipher can be used. Ensure your videos are optimized for mobile viewing, with appropriate encoding and compression. Additionally, consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce latency and improve load times for a global audience.

How can I implement DRM (Digital Rights Management) in Flutter for video content?

Implementing Flutter DRM for video content involves using a platform that supports DRM policies, such as Google Widevine or Apple FairPlay, alongside services like VdoCipher. You would typically need to integrate a DRM solution that is compatible with your video hosting or streaming service to manage access and protect your content from unauthorized use. This may require working closely with the DRM provider to ensure compatibility and security for your video content in Flutter apps.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Flutter Video Player with Controls & Flutter DRM Video Plugin or SDK appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

The eLearning business sector is ready to develop to $325.10 billion by 2025. When making pre-recorded videos, picking an online video hosting stage to have them on is one of the most significant choices you’ll make. We’ve made an examination outline beneath to enable you to pick a video hosting platform for online courses in an efficient manner.

Video Hosting Platform for Online Courses

Before we dwell on the top 10 video hosting platforms. Let’s have a look into what features you need to be looking for:

Key Features of Video Hosting Platform for Online Courses

Each online video portals offers various highlights and abilities. To put it plainly, no two VHP are made similarly. Thus, the way toward picking the correct for your needs can be troublesome and tedious.

Fortunately, we’ve done the diligent work for you by recognizing and assembling a rundown of contemplations eLearning organizations should observe when looking at changed video stages. After researching many eLearning organizations throughout the years, we have a really smart thought of what components are most imperative to guaranteeing video achievement.

1. Customizable Video Player. An extraordinary video hosting platform gives you a chance to redo the video player on your site. This will give your recordings greater believability and make your course site look increasingly proficient. For example, you should think about including your logo to your custom HTML5 video player.With CDN the delivery of multimedia content becomes faster and more reliable for a global audience.
2. Video API. When doing your video stage correlation, check for a hearty API that enables you to fuse the stage legitimately into your current frameworks.
3.  Video Analytics. Great video facilitating destinations give you instruments to follow and examine diverse video durations, for example, the number of perspectives, watch term, heat maps, and traffic sources. Most of the video platforms offer basic video analytics. However, it is good to have a platform that gives you deeper insights into your videos and your audience. Key success metrics include video views, bounce rates, user engagement, average view times and conversion. On the basis of these metrics, you can plan your content strategy and target your audience more effectively.
4. Content Delivery Network.   CDN is another significant part of video hosting for online courses. Generally, a Video CDN alludes to a geologically appropriated gathering of servers that work together to give quick conveyance of web content. Preferably, an Online Course Hosting Platform or Media Platform must have servers around the globe. That way, your recordings stream from whichever server is nearest to every watcher’s gadget.
5. Term/Quantity of Videos. What amount of video length does it support? Do they offer plans that can be modified to meet your particular needs?
6. Video Security.  Every platform gives distinctive security alternatives that might meet your requirements. For instance, some regular safety efforts include encoded spilling, DRM encryption, password security, domain control watermarking, and video planning. The first and the most critical feature for any video hosting platform is “The Security”. You need to have a highly secure platform with confidentiality of content to ensure the protection of your videos. A video hosting software must have the following DRM encryptions to provide high-level video protection: 
   1. Google Widevine DRM Encryption
   2. Apple Fairplay DRM Encryption
7. Support.  Choose a platform with good 24/7 hours support with a good help desk.Customer support is the backbone of any business relationship. After all the setup and hard work you’ve done, you relatively need good support at the end of the day. For a reliable video hosting platform,  the support needs to be very proactive whenever any issue arises.

Detailed blog on top 10 features to look for in video hosting platforms

Top 10 Video Hosting Platform for E-learning & Media

1. Vdocipher

VdoCipher.com provides a video hosting solution for online course businesses to help them stream content on their site/app in a most secure and smooth manner. The key features are the highest security from video piracy through Hollywood Grade DRM encryption & watermarking technologies, and smoothest streaming at slow connections due to optimized encoding at lower sizes. Together these video protection features ensure that you have the best video encryption and the security keys needed to decrypt it are not accessible at all. This helps portals to earn maximum revenues from their content and ensure the best user experience even in tier 2,3 cities.

VdoCipher is the winner of the best company in the video security (DRM) category by prestigious Streaming Media Global, Europe. Packaged offerings include multi CDN integration, Transcoding,  API & Plugin integration, Custom Player, offline app playback & Per video analytics. VdoCipher already serves e-learning and media businesses from 40+ countries with its offerings and offers seamless integrations with online course platforms.

Plans start from $99 and include Hollywood Grade DRM security from piracy. Free 30 Day trial is available.

2.Youtube

 Youtube is also a video hosting platform with more than 2 billion active users. It gives you the choice to make playlists so you can make a playlist to build your substance’s utilization. it has an inbuilt subscription and warning framework. You have the choice to profit from your videos through promotions. Also, it’s the second biggest internet searcher. It is utilized by many online course makers to post free video content on their channels.

If you have a free online course that you’d like to offer, at that point YouTube ought to be your go-to video facilitating website – particularly on the off chance that you need your intended interest group to have the option to discover your course. We’ve recently published a blog on the history of Youtube, do check it out to know more about how the platform rose to its current status. 

3. Panopto

The Panopto is a business video hosting platform for online courses from businesses and colleges across the world. They promote themselves as a one-stop search for overseeing, live streaming platform, recording, and sharing video content. Whenever organizations and colleges need a simple, dependable answer for overseeing, streaming, and video recordings, they go to Panopto. They’ve constructed a video platform that any representative, educator, and student can utilize paying little respect to their related knowledge.

Estimating includes a permit model dependent on the number of clients, beginning at 500 clients and expanding from that point.

4.Kaltura

Make training progressively intuitive, connecting with, and open. Kaltura offers the broadest arrangement of video the executives and creation instruments available, firmly coordinated with each lm.

From flipped study halls to live games communicate, Kaltura powers the most recent patterns in training. Staff and understudies can without much of a stretch make, transfer, alter, oversee, distribute, find and convey astounding video to any gadget, live, or on interest. Perceive how video can drive communication, assemble network, support imagination, expand your span, and even improve learning results.

5.Vimeo

With Vimeo, you’ll get the good looking interface for distributing your online video courses. While this video service platform surely has constraints as to its transferring space limit, its incredible examination frameworks, customization capacity, and strong network settle on it an alluring decision for online course makers.

6. Wistia

Wistia is a good video hosting platform solution for entrepreneurs. It offers amazing examination tools and gives you a chance to screen different video commitment measurements.

Custom marking is just accessible on premium records. It gives you the choice to secret phrase secure your recordings. it Worked in choices for adding a call to activities and gathering leads.it is free for the initial three recordings.it is free for the initial three recordings. Wistia charges dependent on the number of recordings. We did a full comparison of Youtube vs Vimeo vs Wistia, find out how Wistia compares to these big platforms.

7. Brightcove

Brightcove is also a video hosting platform that is enthusiastic about online courses.  It helps their clients center around utilizing video to move their business in important ways, regardless of whether that is in communicating or distributing, showcasing, or venture interchanges.

If you are searching for speed enhancement, and more power over your online course’s marking then Brightcove is the correct decision for you. The completely adjustable arrangement that supports modules.

It accompanies a 30-day free time for testing for testing the stage.

8. JW Player

JW Player, a New York based company was developed in 2005 as an open source project. It was initially used in the first version of YouTube but now serves over a billion users monthly through the player. The player is named after the founder Jeroen Wijering and was initially distributed via Wijering’s blog. In 2015, JW Player was rewritten to reduce size and load time and it also changed its licensing from open source to Creative Commons for non-commercial use. It had integrated support for HTML5 Video which allows video to be watched on phones, tablets, and PCs. Its features include JavaScript API, multi-bitrate HD encoding, and also supports customization for enterprise levels. JW player now also provides video hosting services in combination with its player.

9. AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS), excels in offering a wide range of over 200 services, including video hosting, streaming, CDN, cloud computing, and storage solutions. Its global presence via an extensive network of data centers, ensures content availability and uptime. The only issue with AWS’s services is that of complex documentation which can be daunting for average users. Clients will often use various AWS services in combination with scaling features that allow them to use more computing in high application usage times, and then scale down to reduce costs when there is less traffic. AWS also allows reselling its services through improved means and marketing. Fees are based on a combination of usage also known as a “Pay-as-you-go” model for hardware, operating system, software, or networking features chosen by the client.

10. Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud Platform (GCP), offered by Google, is a set of cloud computing services that provides a series of modular cloud services including video hosting, computing, data storage, data analytics, and machine learning. It runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search, Gmail, and Google Docs. Registration requires a credit card or bank account details. It provides infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and serverless computing environments.

Now that you are done with the article, check out our article on eLearning video software, to know about all the tools you’d require to create video courses.

Here are the Top 10 Video Hosting Platform for online courses:

• VdoCipher
• Youtube
• Panopto
• Kaltura
• Vimeo
• Wistia
• Brightcove
• JW Player
• AWS
• GCP

Video Hosting For Website & App Business

Businesses rely heavily on video hosting services, their requirement ranges from showcasing their product to the audience, training their staff and even creating content for user consumption. For all such cases, they require premium features including security, analytics, and APIs which free hosting services don’t provide. Using a hosting site like YouTube can really hurt their business for several reasons such as leakage of content and user being distracted from ads and suggestion

Businesses use video hosting for three major purposes.

1. Marketing: Videos are often used by businesses to market their products or services. A short video can really work wonders to get a message across to the user and further help them in their buying decision. 
2. Internal Training or Communication: Large enterprises often use training videos to welcome new employees, train both new and existing employees, or at times pass on crucial information. In addition, they also use employee tracking apps to keep things under proper control. There are some great tools specifically for onboarding training, but look out for newer more effective solutions to Trainual that integrate other documentation processes. Having a good enterprise video solution can be a great pick for your video needs.
3. Content for Customer: These requirements can range from customer onboarding videos to eLearning content and movies online. 

If the videos are being used for marketing purposes, ad-free and other video suggestions can be distracting for a user and can be counterproductive for the original goal. Similarly, videos for internal communication, contain information meant for your employees only and you’d rather not have it out in the open. Any public video hosting platform like youtube or Vimeo won’t solve your requirements. This is why businesses go for private video hosting, to make sure that the content is only being viewed by the right people. These video hosting platforms come bundled with various features and security which makes it even a more viable option. 

Video Hosting For Content Creators

If you are a content creator online, chances are that you’re already on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. In case you aren’t you’d want to be on these video sharing platforms. 

These platforms make sense as they are free and have more suitable for your needs, especially when you want to build up an audience. YouTube is only the second largest search engine only after Google. You’d imagine the traffic and users they get. So the best bet for any content creator would be to tap into their user base. Content creators can monetize their content and earn money based on the ads on their videos. 

In case you already have a wide audience and you’d rather have users visiting your site, then you can opt for private video hosting. Meanwhile do check out our blog on short video platform.

How does a Video Hosting Platform work?

Many online businesses spend a lot on these services and require features over and beyond video security. VdoCipher, with its video hosting solution, fulfils all major requirements which cover all businesses needs. VdoCipher follows the below 6-step Video Hosting, DRM based Video Encryption, and Streaming process that set us apart from the competition.

1. Upload – Users upload their video content through various options like Desktop, FTP, DropBox, directly from the server, and directly from URL. It supports all typical video formats.
2. Transcoding for Protected Streaming – After upload, video encryption is done via DRM encryption protocol & multiple bitrates. Video transcoding is done for optimization at multiple bitrates such that viewers on networks of any quality can conveniently stream videos.
3. Storage of Encrypted Content – The video content is securely stored on Amazon’s AWS S3 servers using our own server-side video encryption technology, creating a double layer of protection ensuring complete security.
4. DRM Encrypted Video Transfer –  Once the encryption is done, the encrypted content then needs to be streamed to the final viewer interface. The encryption is performed using a non-public key whose exchange mechanism is hidden. The transfer of this encrypted content is done by generating a one time URL after which the content is transferred in chunks to optimize video streaming further.
5. Licensing & Authentication – VdoCipher provides One Time generated dynamic video URLs which are accessed only through custom video embed codes, allowing licensing duration for each single video stream. This prevents any URL based sharing.
6. Decryption & Playback – At last, the encrypted stream content is decrypted inside the player with a dynamic key. Our DRM based key transfer protocol fundamentally differs from the public key transfer protocol. A private key transfer between the website and our API makes it impossible for the hackers to decrypt our streams, hence making our video encryption hack-proof.

Here’s the complete explanation of how VdoCipher’s Online Video Hosting Platform works. 

How using a free platform like youtube can hurt your business?

When it comes to consuming online video content, youtube is almost everybody’s first choice. In fact, a lot of content creators or YouTubers are generating significant revenue from it. And is also used by various businesses too for hosting their videos. However, if you want to monetize your video content, youtube might not be the right choice for you due to the following reasons:

Weak Video Security 

Videos hosted on YouTube aren’t very secure and can be downloaded easily by using any plugin or an online tool.

Non-removable Youtube Branding 

The HTML5 video player used by youtube for streaming videos isn’t exactly customizable. You might have to compromise your branding part with it. 

Unwanted Ads and Suggestions 

Youtube shows a lot of ads of various types which can sometimes be really distracting as a user. Especially when you’ve paid or subscribed for premium content. Youtube shows different suggestions at the end of a video and users often tend to click them. This takes away a user streaming your content to some other content place.

Video Hosting Platforms FAQ Summary

You can also read our blog on video hosting now in Spanish-plataformas de alojamiento de vídeos.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post 10 Best Video Hosting Platforms for Online Courses’ & Media Websites In 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Flash-based players have become obsolete now and HTML5 video players have become the new industry standard. For facilitating seamless integration on your website, we suggest the best video players for you in this article. These media players offer an advanced marketing toolkit to you that helps you reach your business goals.

But, before we do that, let’s look at what an HTML5 video player does.

What is an Online Video Player?

HTML5 Video Player is a library of JavaScript that builds HTML controls over the top of the HTML5 video element. This provides a uniform look between different browsers.

HTML5 online video players allow you to play video online directly in a web browser without the use of additional plugins. Some time ago, we installed a Flash media player to stream videos. But, HTML5 video players offer an easy way to integrate native video players on your website. While you can still embed YouTube videos, here’s a more handy way to showcase videos to your visitors, whether you are a personal trainer creating exercise demo videos or an influencer making a funny video.

HTML5 video players only need you to use the video element. Set the width and height for the video size and control attributes to add functions such as play and pause or set up the video to play automatically.

Most sophisticated browsers now support HTML5 videos, so online video playing is now more comfortable both on desktop and mobile screens.

Should you go with a propriety media player or one that’s open-source and free?

Open-Source Online Video Player vs Propriety Media Player

Open source players offer some degree of advantage over those you need to purchase licenses.

Cost

Open-source html5 video players are free for you to use. You can even evaluate and review their source code.

Propriety media players often come at a premium price. But you’d get a lot of options of features and integrations which would otherwise take considerable development cost on your end.

Bugs

Popular open-source solutions tend to have fewer bugs and faster fixes because of the community support they come with.

For propriety solutions, you can reach out to the team concerned and let them fix the problem for you. This is why before choosing a propriety solution you should check if they have good customer support.

Customization

Open-source products have a high potential for customization. Almost everything you see is customizable, so the tool can be tailored to meet your unique needs. You get access to free and instant support from a global community of developers and enthusiasts who are more than happy to assist the users of their solution.

For propriety online media players, you may not get much control over the customization as you’re buying the finished product. But these often come preloaded with features and themes which will make it much easier to tinker with.

Support

With open-source HTML5 video players, you get proper documentation, wikis, newsgroups, and email lists, as well as an option for a live chat whenever you face a glitch.

With propriety online media players, you get the support of the team you bought the services from. They’ll take care of your issues without the hassle of going through multiple documentation, videos, etc. This is ideal for people who are not tech-savvy or have low bandwidth.

Top 17 Online Video Players

Next, let’s look at the top online video players that support HTML5 playback.

1. Video.js

VideoJS is a free and open-source online video player that includes features such as basic playback options such as autoplay and preload. VideoJS uses JavaScript to plug cross-browser inconsistencies, ensuring your content appears in the best light. It can also add support for HTML5 tags on older IE versions, and introduce functionalities such as subtitles and full-screen displays.

Other standout features can be introduced in VideoJS with the help of plugins. You can track Google Analytics ever right from the player, add your branding in the player controls, and introduce Chromecast support.

2. VdoCipher 

Vdocipher provides an HTML5 video player with the added advantage of DRM encryption technology to secure videos and stop video piracy by preventing them from being downloaded/pirated. It uses Dash as an open-source base to build the DRM-encrypted playback in an online video player.

The player supports functionalities like Multiple quality options, Adaptive playback, Responsive design, Multi-lingual subtitles, Forward/Rewind options, and various player themes in different colors. You can create your custom video player now using Vdocipher player, change the complete appearance, and edit controls as per your need.

With some added scripts, you can also add CTAs like buttons/forms, etc over the VdoCipher player. A free 30-day trial is available at vdocipher.com.

Vdocipher also provides you with secure video hosting allowing you to stream your videos most smoothly and securely. It is ideal for anyone looking to build a video platform.

3. Flowplayer

Flowplayer is a free and easy-to-use alternative to convert FLV or MP4 videos to pages and posts. Along with MP4 movies, Flowplayer also provides protection on mobile devices. It helps in the automated checking of video encoding for logged-in administrators. You can apply branding at the end and the start of the videos. Moreover, users can enjoy unlimited instances on a single page.

A few other features include Google Analytics, Subtitles, Slow motion, Native fullscreen, Keyboard shortcuts, Random seeking, Retina ready, Cuepoints, and so on, without the use of expensive plugins. It also comes with video intelligence and video ads support, full support for Amazon S3 and other CDNs, Flash fallback, and high efficiency.

4. Projekktor online video player

Projekktor is a self-hosted environment available as an open-source online javascript video player. It was released under GPLv3 and is written using JavaScript. Projekktor effectively manages al compatibility issues and cross-browser issues while offering a set of powerful features.

The key features of this HTML5 video player are automatic detection of the best way to play your favorite video, its impressive and attractive aesthetics and user-friendly behavior, consistent performance and high reliability.

Projekktor library features also include pre-roll and post-roll ads, Flash fallback with RTMP support, playlist building, and true fullscreen.

5. jPlayer

jPlayer is a free and open-source media library written in JavaScript. jPlayer allows quick weaving of cross-platform video and audio into your website pages through a jQuery plugin. Its holistic API supports innovative media solutions as the active and engaging open-source community around jPlayer extends support.

You can seamlessly install a package for PHP to download all components and install the required files into the specific path for installation.

Features of jPlayer include easy installation, comprehensive documentation, extensible architecture and cross-browser support, plugins, custom skin options, and so on.

6. Plyr

Plyr is a lightweight, simple, and customizable online video player. It offers support for HTML Vimeo and YouTube players. It is popular in both experts and beginners circles for its lightweight configuration that enables smooth processing for large video files. Plyr intuitively makes things easier with useful elements that help seamless project completion.

Features of Plyr include accessibility (offers full support for VTT captions and screen readers), a lightweight player that does not occupy a lot of space on the server, several customization options, responsiveness to fit any screen size, support for streaming and audio formats.

7. Afterglow

Afterglow is simple to integrate HTML5 video player with features that can be turned off, so you are not forced to use them. It is a configurable, self-integrating, open-source online video player that can be nicely recorded. 

A few standout features of Afterglow are its cross-browser compatibility (works on all major browsers and devices and supports IE down to IE9), drop-in replacement, full responsiveness (fits into your design perfectly), and resolution switching capabilities (offers an easy way to serve your videos in HD and SD).

Another great thing about this online media player is a nice wizard that helps with direct integration. If you let them know where you want to host your videos, they will give you the steps containing scripts.

8. MediaElement.js

This is a jQuery plugin that enables you to use the video tag with a single H.264 file. If your online video player does not support HTML5, MediaElementJS will replace the online media player with a Fash or Silverlight-based one. Everyone can contribute to improving this product as it’s free and open-source.

It supports the more standard and desirable features such as standard play controls, fullscreen video display, skinning, and also has a plugin architecture to support unique features. These sophisticated features include auto-translation (with Google Translate), jump forward, skip back, looping, post-roll (showcasing custom HTML after a video ends), and virtual backlight that frames the video with matching colors taken from it during playback (a feature available only with HTML5 video player).

9. JW Player

JW Player accommodated support for HTML5 video playback. The online media player is fully customizable with a wide range of features that enhance the accessibility of content and responsiveness of HTML5 videos.

JW Player offers a complete suite of HTML5 video controls. It is also compatible as an alternative to YouTube’s online video player. JW Player also supports a wide range of user-defined themes. Its plugins are consistent with the more popular CMS system, making it easier and quicker to integrate.

This online media player also boasts of sophisticated analytics features that allow users to see how well their video content is performing on the website, enabled password-protected sharing, schedule ads, create video gallery, and more. Other features include add-ons ranging from closed captioning to advertising tie-ups, social sharing options, and so on. 

11. Video for Everybody

This is one of the earliest solutions for embedding HTML5 and Flash videos and is also simplistic in its feature set and usability. It comprises of a fundamental set of markups that use HTML5 and its capability to move to the next supported object if the current one fails. This means it uses the <video> element to enclose each HTML5 video container source.

It falls back to Flash if the browser does not support HTML5. Features include a bunch of custom controls, support for iPhone and iPad, WebM video support, and more. Video for Everybody online video player does not support JavaScript or Browser sniffing.

11. Kaltura player

Kaltura HTML5 video player is a free and open-source online video player. It is used to create multiple customized inter-browser and inter-device skins to match or complement your site. Kaltura online video player also comes with a lot of player templates.

Features include multi-platform support, robust performance, and advertising and analytics capabilities (it supports several ad formats such as VAST 3.0 and integrated plugins for video ad networks, such as Tremor Video, AdapTV, Eye Wonder, Ad Tech, DoubleClick DFP, and so on).

12. Elite

Elite Video Player is a fully customizable online video player for WordPress that offers advertising support. The responsive HTML5 video player offers playback for platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube, Google Drive, and self-hosting videos (only mp4).

A few standout features of Elite Video Player include YouTube 360 VR and live streaming support, Google Drive and Open load videos, advertising with pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll ads, video ads, popup ads, and so on. 

The responsiveness of this online video player makes it an instant choice for users accessing sites through their mobile devices.

13. Ultimate Video Player

Ultimate Video Player is another responsive audio and video player that supports Vimeo and YouTube videos. It needs an mp4 or mp3 format. The online video player can work on mobile devices as well as desktop regardless of the browser used. 

Features of the Ultimate Video Player include encryption capabilities for video source or path to avoid users from seeing the source of the video, optimization for mobile devices and desktop, multiple video quality support and a video quality selector, password-protected videos, live streaming support, support for 360-degree or VR-based videos, subtitles selector, playback speed selector, branding options, and video download options.

As opposed to the other open-source and free HTML5 video players shared in this article, this one comes at a price of $49 for six-months support.

14. Elmedia Player

Elmedia online video player can play all kinds of videos. This Mac OS online media player can allow users to showcase videos from popular sites such as Dailymotion, Vimeo, Facebook, and more. Also, you can allow users to download these videos fro your website. Elmedia can play video online in formats such as M4V, MKV, MP3, DAT, MOV, HTML5, and more.

Standout features of Elmedia HTML5 video player include an online video showcasing capabilities, support for hardware acceleration, capturing screenshots from the videos, SWF support, video downloading options, and capabilities to extract audio files from the video.

15. Chameleon HTML5 Video Player

Chameleon HTML5 player comes with a backup for Flash. Internet Explorer does not support the full-screen experience we are so used to. Also, in order to view HTML5 in IE, you might need to produce extra videos since the browser does not encourage the mp4 file sort.

Chameleon addresses these challenges through its instinctive Flash backup. Features include two skins to choose from, a custom right-click menu with an option to add a copyright link, social sharing options, responsiveness, retina display for MacBook Pro, and more.

16. Cloudinary video player

This HTML5 video player is primarily aimed for use by enterprises and businesses. The web video player is optimized for best-in-class viewer experience and supports high-quality, high-resolution videos and adaptive streaming. 

Cloudinary stands apart from these names for its functionality to offer video encoding, hosting service, and manipulation service for video assets. The transformations to the video that you choose happen at the player level, and on the fly. The web video player contains lightweight, user-friendly embed codes that allow for seamless integration of the HTML video player to an organization’s website.

Furthermore, Cloudinary’s built-in video analytics offer insights and actionable data on viewer engagement and interaction, besides video performance in terms of conversion rates.

17. WordPress Video Gallery 

This is one of the simplest online video players available with the ability to make creative videos on any website page using interactive and intuitive shortcut commands. Users can process their video assets with unique custom post settings and then distributed videos can be brought up at once using shortcut keys.

WordPress Video Gallery is a responsive and customizable tool as it facilitates the screen to shrink to manage mobile device displays. A few of its incredible features include preloading videos, managing the gallery, controlling size variations, and setting initial image or thumbnail.

HTML5 Player advantage over Flash

An HTML5 video offers several advantages over Flash Player, such as:

• Less Complexity – You can create a single-player solution for desktop and mobile web view.
• Happier Viewers – Due to the small size of the player code the webpage loads faster and allows a shorter start time of playback.
• More Power – In comparison to a Flash player, an HTML5 player uses very less CPU and storage resources resulting in reduced battery consumption on laptops with native playback support
• Lower Costs – When using advanced codecs, an HTML5 player has lower distribution and storage costs.
• Broad device support – It is supported with billions of endpoints for all the latest devices and browsers
• DRM Support – HTML5 video is a viable platform for premium content as it offers DRM-encrypted playback.
• Adaptive streaming – To cater to users with varying bandwidth needs, adaptive bitrate streaming makes data usage economical with a better user experience.
• Next-Generation Video Compression – HTML5 video supports next-generation video compression like VP9 codec, which can reduce the video bit rates by as much as 45% compared to H.264.
• Switch has already been made – Major sites (Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, YouTube) have already switched to HTML5 video players for better control and viewing experience.

Key Feature Comparison

Technology Comparison

What Features Matter the most in an HTML5 Video Player?

When selecting an HTML5 video player, there are a few features that can be vital for your business. Here are the important features you need to look for.

Player Performance 

While choosing an HTML5 video player, you need to look into the fact there aren’t any issues with video playback. There shouldn’t be any buffering issues or other playback-related errors. Also, look into the performance and speed of the video player. Player needs to have a fast loading time and a good user experience.

Customization of Video Player Controls

Branding is very important, choose a player that allows you to customize the player to suit your brand. Customization should include changing the player controls and colors of the player to suit your brand. 

Other features you need to look out for are chapters for navigation, search through the transcription, and much more.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

A lot of your users would be from areas with lower internet speeds. This would cause a lot of issues if you were only streaming high-quality videos. To tackle this problem, a lot of online video players provide adaptive bitrate streaming, which ensures your video scales according to the internet bandwidth and there is no buffering. 

DRM Protection

DRM encryption ensures your content is protected and cannot be illegally downloaded. Choose an online video player which provides DRM, to make sure that your content can not be pirated.  Other security features like Dynamic watermarking, Playintegrity integration, and user-based security analytics are also important.

Cross-browser Compatibility

Every browser and device you want to stream might have a different player associated with it. So building a player is not just about a single player but a different player for each of these situations, and making sure that users get the same experience in all of them. Whether the user is streaming on the web, iOS, android, react native, or Flutter, your user’s experience shouldn’t be compromised.

Wrapping It Up

These online HTML5 video players are widely used over the Internet by various companies and individuals to embed videos on their site. 

Integrating videos on your website gives your website and the page a unique appeal, enhances the quality of the content on your page, and offers a visual break from the text. You might want to use videos on your website to add to the content already offered, give your users an introduction about your offerings, or integrate customer feedback and review videos for added credibility.

Therefore, it is time you choose one of these popular HTML5 video payers to show awesome videos on your website and augment the value offered.

Find out more about on how to prevent video download on the blog linked. We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

FAQs

What are the benefits of using an open video player?

There are several benefits of using an open video player. Firstly, open video players are usually free to download and use. Secondly, they support various video formats, making them versatile and convenient. Also, most open video players offer advanced features, such as the ability to play videos online in full-screen mode or to fast-forward and rewind.

What are some of the benefits of using an HTML5 video player?

Custom HTML5 video players are that they are typically faster and more lightweight than other video players, they can be customized to match the look and feel of your website, and support a variety of video formats.

What is the need for an HTML5 video player?

HTML5 is the newest version of the HTML standard, and it includes new features that allow video to be played natively in web browsers. Video files are typically encoded in the H.264 or WebM format, and HTML5 video players will usually support both of these formats.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Top 17 Online Video Player in 2024 For Your Website appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.