A streaming encoder takes uncompressed media feeds, usually from cameras or production switchers, and compresses them into a continuous data stream. It uses codecs like H.264 or HEVC to shrink the file size while maintaining visual quality, then packages the data into protocols like RTMP or SRT. This allows the heavy raw video to travel smoothly over standard internet connections to a content delivery network or directly to viewers.
Heard on the job
The hardware streaming encoder dropped offline, so we had to fail over to a software backup to keep the broadcast running.
Insider tip
Hardware encoders are preferred for live production because they have dedicated processing chips that will not crash if a background operating system process hangs.