Density, Efficiency, Power: Why VPUs Are Redefining What's Possible in Video Encoding

Nacho Mileo of Cires21 takes us on a journey through the evolution of video encoding infrastructure, revealing how Video Processing Units (VPUs) have transformed from just one option among many to an essential technology enabling the next generation of streaming solutions. Founded in 2008 during the early days of streaming, Cires21 has always worked at the cutting edge of video technology. Starting with physical hardware encoders but maintaining a cloud-first mindset, they strategically positioned themselves to understand both worlds. This foresight has paid dividends as the industry evolved, allowing them to develop solutions that seamlessly bridge on-premises equipment and cloud implementations. What's particularly fascinating is the paradox of video economics that Mileo describes. As encoding technologies become more efficient and cost-effective, the market expands rather than contracts. New use cases emerge, consumption increases, and what was once prohibitively expensive becomes accessible to more creators and distributors. Remember when "a terabyte of CDN was $500"? Those days are thankfully behind us. The conversation takes a deep dive into Cires21's approach to AI integration, revealing how seemingly simple features like automatic video reframing or live captioning actually require sophisticated engineering with 12+ distinct processing steps. Their comprehensive AI toolkit includes captioning, dubbing with synthetic voices, content classification, and automatic highlights generation - all built with practical broadcasting needs in mind. The crown jewel of their NAB showcase is their VPU-powered encoder that achieves remarkable density - 16 SDI inputs in a single rack unit. Through partnerships with NETINT and Akamai, they've created one of the first truly practical implementations of hybrid cloud for video encoding workloads. The same encoder technology runs both on-premises and in Akamai's Linode Cloud, all managed through a unified control interface. Don't miss seeing this technology in action at NAB, where Cires21 will be demonstrating at NETINT's booth. As Nacho emphasizes, this isn't just a PowerPoint presentation or future roadmap - these solutions are ready for immediate delivery.Stay tuned for more in-depth insights on video technology, trends, and practical applications. Subscribe to Voices of Video: Inside the Tech for exclusive, hands-on knowledge from the experts. For more resources, visit Voices of Video.