
Which AWS CPU is Best for FFmpeg? AMD, Graviton, or Intel
Which AWS CPU is Best for FFmpeg? AMD, Graviton, or Intel If you encode with FFmpeg on AWS, you probably know that you have
To assist in this transition, NETINT recently published two online calculators that measure the cost savings and payback period for replacing software-based transcoders with T408s. This article describes how to use these calculators and shows that data centers can recover their investment in T408 transcoders in just a few months, even less if you can repurpose servers previously used for encoding for other uses. Most of the data shown are from a white paper that you can access here.
Briefly, NETINT designs, develops, and sells ASIC-powered transcoders like the T408, which is a video transcoder in a U.2 form factor containing a single ASIC. Operating in x86 and ARM-based servers, T408 transcoders output H.264 or HEVC at up to 4Kp60 or 4x 1080p60 streams per T408 module and draw only 7 watts.
Simply stated, a single T408 can produce roughly the same output as a 32-core workstation encoding in software but drawing anywhere from 250 – 500 watts of power. You can install up to 24 T408s in a single workstation, which essentially replaces 20 – 24 standalone encoding workstations, slashing power costs and the associated carbon emissions.
In a nutshell, these savings are why large video publishers like YouTube and Meta are switching to ASICs. By deploying NETINT’s T408s, you can achieve the same benefits without the associated R&D and manufacturing costs. The new calculators will help you quantify the savings.
The first calculator, available here, computes the number of T408s required for your production. There are two steps; first, enter the rungs of your encoding ladder into the table as shown. If you don’t know the details of your ladder, you can click the Insert Sample HD or 4K Ladder buttons to insert sample ladders.
After entering your ladder information, insert the number of encoding ladders that you need to produce simultaneously, which in the table is 100. Then press the Compute button (not shown in the Figure but obvious on the calculator).
This yields a total of 41 T408s. For perspective, the calculator should be very accurate for streams that don’t require scaling, like 1080p inputs output to 1080p. However, while the T408 decodes and transcodes in hardware, it relies on the host CPU for scaling. If you’re processing full encoding ladders, as we are in this example, throughput will be impacted by the power of the host CPU.
As designed, the calculator assumes that your T408 server is driven by a 32-core host CPU. On an 8-16 core system, expect perhaps 5 – 10% lower throughput. On a 64-core system, throughput could increase by 15 – 20%. Accordingly, please consider the output from this calculator as a good rough estimate accurate to about plus or minus 20%.
To compute the payback period, click the Compute Payback Period shown in Figure 1. To restart the calculation, refresh your browser.
Computing the payback period requires significantly more information, which is summarized in the following graphic.
When you’ve entered all the data, press the Calculate button.
The calculator computes the payback period under three assumptions:
This result divides the cost of the T408 purchases by the monthly savings and shows a payback period of around 11 months. That said, if five servers with T408s essentially replaced 34 servers, unless you’re discarding the 29 servers, the third result is probably a more accurate reflection of the actual economic impact.
This result includes the cost of the servers necessary to run the T408s, which extends the payback period to about 20.5 months. Again, however, if you’re able to allocate existing encoding servers into other roles, the third calculation is a more accurate reflection.
This result incorporates all economic factors. In this case, the value of the repurposed computers ($145,000) exceeds the costs of the T408s and the computers necessary to house them ($103,600), so you’re ahead the day you make the switch.
However you run the numbers, data centers driving high-volume live transcoding operations will find that ASIC-based transcoders will pay for themselves in a matter of months. If power costs keep rising, the payback period will obviously shrink even further.
Which AWS CPU is Best for FFmpeg? AMD, Graviton, or Intel If you encode with FFmpeg on AWS, you probably know that you have
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