Sustainability in Streaming: A Buzzword or Real Progress?
Sustainability is a term that gets tossed around a lot in the streaming industry—but what does it really mean? Is it just another trend, or is it driving meaningful change? At Scalstrm, we don’t deal with physical products in order to have paper packaging or plastic that can be recycled or reduced. Instead, our sustainability efforts focus on where we can make the biggest impact—in the operations. By streamlining processes, reducing server space requirements, and minimizing energy consumption, we are transforming the streaming industry into a more efficient and eco-conscious ecosystem.
We understand that reducing environmental impact begins with optimizing the foundation of streaming operations. By improving performance and enhancing cost efficiency, our solutions are reshaping the industry. Here’s a closer look at how we achieve this:
Our Streaming Origin
Scalstrm’s Streaming Origin converts raw input video into to the multitude of streaming formats needed for different devices, adds all the different languages / subtitles for global distribution, records for catchup services and inserts personalized ads for each individual viewer. All this is done in real-time for live broadcasts and on-the-fly / Just-in-time for VOD services. Traditional systems often require excessive hardware to handle peak demands, resulting in wasted resources during off-peak times. Our solution dynamically adjusts to the actual needs of your platform, significantly reducing the hardware footprint without sacrificing quality. This leads to tangible benefits, including lower power consumption, reduced cooling requirements, and a smaller carbon footprint.
Moreover, our Origin enables seamless integration with existing workflows, ensuring a smooth transition to a more sustainable operation. By reducing the dependency on additional servers, Scalstrm helps you optimize costs while contributing to a greener future.
Counting the Savings: Proof in Numbers
You don’t have to take our word for it—our results speak for themselves. In a real-world case study from a prominent streaming provider (referenced in our article Counting the Savings: Scalstrm’s Cost-Efficiency & Performance in Action), the difference was remarkable.
Before adopting Scalstrm’s Origin, the client’s setup required nearly 50 servers, each running substantial configurations. After implementing our solution, they were able to achieve the same performance with just 8 servers. To further enhance reliability, the client opted for redundancy measures, but the system could have functioned with as few as 2 servers.
This reduction didn’t just save energy—it streamlined operations, cut costs, and demonstrated the power of eco-conscious innovation.
VOD Just-In-Time Transcoding
Video-on-Demand (VOD) services have grown exponentially but so has the energy consumption required to maintain vast libraries of pre-transcoded content. Scalstrm’s Just-In-Time Transcoding technology changes the game by processing content only when and as viewers need it.
Instead of storing countless versions of the same video in different formats, our technology dynamically transcodes content on-the-fly. This eliminates the need for excessive storage and computational resources while ensuring that viewers experience seamless playback. The result? A massive reduction in energy usage, server demands, and operating costs, all while maintaining the high-quality streaming experience your audience expects. Just-In-Time Transcoding not only supports sustainability but also offers unparalleled scalability, allowing streaming platforms to adapt to growing user bases without dramatically increasing their infrastructure footprint. Ready to Make a Difference?
At Scalstrm, we’re transforming the way streaming works, making it greener, leaner, and smarter. Want to learn more about how Scalstrm can revolutionize your streaming operations?
