SaaS Encoding Calculator

Model the real cost of API-driven transcoding (like AWS MediaConvert or Mux).

Total Output Minutes per Month Base Price per Minute (SD H.264) Percentage of HD (1080p) Output HEVC Codec Surcharge Multiplier

$0.00

Monthly Cost (H.264 Only)

$0.00

Monthly Cost (with HEVC surcharge)

Economics of Cloud Encoding

Cloud transcoding is mathematically viable for VoD and short-term live events. However, for 24/7 linear channels, the per-minute billing will rapidly exceed the cost of bare-metal servers. A 24/7 HD channel costs roughly $800/month just in SaaS compute, whereas an equivalent ASIC server costs $2,000 once.

Transcoding ROI HEVC Analysis