How to Create Encoding Profiles

This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of creating encoding profiles for video streaming and transcoding on the 5centsCDN platform.

Getting Started

Step 1: Navigate to Video Encoding

Click on Video Encoding from the main navigation menu.

Step 2: Open Global Preset Profile/Filter

From the dropdown menu, click Global Preset Profile/Filter.

Step 3: Create a New Profile

Click the + (Plus) button to initiate the creation of a new encoding profile.

Profile Type Selection

Step 4: Choose Profile Type

When creating a new profile, a popup will appear with the following two options:

Single Profile
- Creates one encoding profile with specific, manually defined settings.
- Ideal for generating a single output format or resolution.
Combined Profile
- Used to create multiple encoding profiles at once.
- Primarily used for ABR (Adaptive Bitrate) streaming, where multiple resolutions and bitrates are needed for dynamic playback based on viewer bandwidth.
- Automatically generates a set of renditions (e.g., 1080p, 720p, 480p) with matching audio and video settings for adaptive streaming.

Select the appropriate option and click Next to proceed.

Basic Settings Configuration

Step 5: Enter Basic Information

Profile Name: Enter a descriptive name.
Output Directory: Specify where the encoded files will be stored, default:mp4

Click Next to proceed to video settings.

Video Settings Configuration

Step 6: Configure Video Parameters

Container Format:
- MP4: Most compatible
- WebM: Web-optimized
- HLS: Live streaming
- HLS-AES: Encrypted HLS
Codec Selection:
- H264: Standard, widely supported
- H265: Efficient compression
- VP9: Open-source alternative
Resolution:
- Choose from 720p, 1080p, 4K, etc.
Quality Settings:
- High: Best quality, large size
- Medium: Balanced
- Low: Lower quality, smaller files
Bitrate:
- Enter in Kbps or select As Defined

Advanced Settings

Number of Passes:
- One Pass: Faster
- Two Pass: Better optimization
FPS (Frames Per Second):
- Choose 24, 30, 60, or As Source
GOP (Group of Pictures):
- 1s to 12s (shorter = better seeking)
Preset:
- Superfast → Fast (quality-speed tradeoff)
Video Upscaling:
- Allow or Disallow
Profile & Level:
- Profile: Main
- Level: 3.0 to 4.2

Click Next to proceed.

Audio Settings Configuration

Step 7: Configure Audio Parameters

Audio Codec:
- LC-AAC (recommended), MP3, or Opus
Channels:
- Stereo, Mono, or Custom
Bitrate:
- Typically 128, 192, 256 Kbps
Sample Rate:
- 44.1 KHz (CD quality)
- 48 KHz (Professional standard)
- Or custom value

Click Next to continue.

Thumbnail Settings Configuration

Step 8: Configure Thumbnails

Thumbnail Mode:
- Disabled
- Once
- Interval
- Sprite (thumbnail sheet)
Interval Settings (if enabled):
- Define interval in seconds (e.g., 30.00s)

Click Next to apply filters.

Apply Filters (Optional)

Step 9: Add Filters

Choose optional filters to process the media:

Video Filters
Audio Filters
Custom Filter Chains

Use the dropdown to add and manage filters.

Final Steps

Step 10: Create Profile

Review all settings
Click Create to finalize the profile

Key Terms Explained

GOP (Group of Pictures): Sequence starting with a keyframe followed by predicted frames. Shorter GOPs allow quicker seeking but increase file size.
FPS (Frames Per Second): Number of frames per second in the video. Higher FPS = smoother video.
Bitrate: Amount of data processed per second (Kbps). Affects quality and size.
Codec: Compresses and decompresses video/audio streams (e.g., H264, H265).
Container Format: File format that stores video, audio, and metadata (e.g., MP4, WebM).