Video packaging transforms encoded video streams into formats suitable for delivery across different platforms, devices, and network environments. This article explores video packaging and explains how and why you should leverage Norsk Studio for this critical piece of the streaming workflow.
Processes involved in video packaging
At its core, video packaging bridges the gap between content creation and consumption. After video content has been encoded (compressed into formats such as H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1), it needs to be organized and formatted to enable streaming across the diverse ecosystem of devices and platforms. Typically, video packaging involves the following operations:
-
- Containerization
The encoded audio and video streams are multiplexed into a container format suitable for streaming, such as CMAF for HLS and DASH or MPEG-TS for monitoring and legacy HLS outputs. This step ensures compatibility with client players and streaming protocols.
- Segmenting
In many protocols, content is divided into chunks or segments, typically ranging from 2 to 6 seconds in duration. This segmenting enables adaptive bitrate streaming, where a client device can change quality on the fly and adapt to any variability in network conditions. This helps deliver the best quality of experience (QoE) for the widest audience.
- Manifest Generation
Clients need to know what media is available and in what qualities. This information is provided in manifest files, such as .m3u8 for HLS and .mpd for DASH. These files describe the available streams, bitrates, resolutions, and segment locations. These are essential for players to request and switch between different quality levels.
- Encryption and DRM
Streams may be encrypted using standards such as AES-128 or Common Encryption (CENC) and integrated with Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems to protect content. - Metadata Insertion
Timed metadata, ad markers (e.g., SCTE-35), and captions/subtitles may be inserted or aligned with the content during packaging.
- Containerization
What to look for in a video packager
An effective video packager should support your workflow needs and stay flexible as demands grow. When evaluating your video packager options, a few characteristics stand out:
- Customizability: The packager should adapt to unique workflow requirements rather than forcing the broadcaster into rigid templates. A sound video packaging system should support custom segment durations, encode ladders and output formats.
- Scalability: How does it interoperate with CDNs so that you can go from a single stream to massive live events with hundreds of thousands or millions of concurrent viewers? What CDNs does it support – how does it deal with “origin crush” (a phenomenon where a CDN passes through a large number of requests back to the packager)? How big do you need to go? If I have small audiences (in the hundreds or low thousands), can I skip using a CDN and serve content directly from my packager? What are the bandwidth costs if I do?
- Reliability: The packager should guarantee consistent performance under varying loads and conditions. Robust error handling and failover mechanisms ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
- Security: The packager should protect the content from unauthorized distribution or modification. This includes support for encryption standards (e.g., AES-128), DRM systems like Widevine, FairPlay, or PlayReady, and secure manifest generation.
- Latency: How much latency does my packager introduce? What is the “right” level of latency for my audience? Do I need latency to support user interactivity, such as in an auction or betting use case? Is longer acceptable? There are various “sweet spots” associated with different video packaging technologies, with WebRTC offering ultra-low latencies, whereas low-latency HLS and DASH can deliver latency down to about 4 seconds.
- Multi-protocol support: Should all of my audience have the same latency? Can I mandate that they all use the same video packaging format, or do I need to provide different formats for different devices and/or audiences?
- Adaptive bitrate support: Different audience members are likely to have different network speeds and device capabilities. How does your packager deal with that?
- HLS and DASH offer broad compatibility and adaptive bitrate (ABR) support.
- WebRTC can be sent to specialist CDNs using standards such as WHEP (WebRTC Egest Protocol). The use of simulcast even allows multiple bitrates to be sent, enabling client ABR.
- A wide range of ingest formats: You want flexibility in the protocols you can use to send content to your packager. Common options are RTMP (and more recently Enhanced RTMP), SRT, and WebRTC. Can the packager support multiple ingests for resilience so that if one source fails, it transparently switches to a backup?
- Advanced Subtitling Support: It should handle various caption formats appropriately, automatically converting between standards like WebVTT (used by HLS and DASH) and CEA-608 for broadcast environments.
- Multi-language capabilities: A good packager should accommodate complex scenarios, such as sessions with multiple (even up to dozens) simultaneous language tracks, while maintaining synchronization and quality.
Why you should use Norsk for video packaging
Now that you know what to look for in a video packager, it becomes clear why Norsk is a uniquely powerful solution. Whether targeting ultra-low latency, high-scale delivery or complex real-time workflows, Norsk delivers the flexibility, intelligence, and simplicity modern live video demands.
Flexible
Need ultra-low latency? Want to tune segment durations specifically for your content? Norsk effortlessly handles these use cases. It supports both traditional segment-based delivery and WebRTC-style sub-second workflows. Whether targeting broadcast-grade reliability or experimental interactive video, Norsk adapts to your requirements.
Simple
Norsk is flexible and straightforward to use, offering the right level of control and customization. Norsk Studio offers simple drag-and-drop creation of video packaging workflows. Want an SRT source packaged into low-latency HLS and DASH? Drag two components onto the workflow, and you’re done.
Want an ABR ladder with multiple renditions of the video? Just add a component between your ingest and output, and you’re set!
How about if the content you’re packaging is sent via Enhanced RTMP?
Want to add WebRTC as well? Drag one more component onto the canvas, and you’re done.
There’s no wrestling with multiple third-party tools or format-specific quirks. From ingest to packaging and publishing, it just works.
Content-Aware
Norsk understands the structure and semantics of your streams, allowing it to fix issues that would break lesser systems. For example, in the above scenario with both HLS and WebRTC, Norsk knows that AAC is a great choice for CMAF delivery, but it will automatically convert the audio into Opus for the WebRTC output. You get clean, playable output across formats without manual intervention.
Monitoring and Logging
Especially when operating at scale (and Norsk already delivers over 100 thousand live events a year!), you need to be able to monitor and react to changing circumstances. Norsk supports OpenTelemetry and Fluent Bit, making it straightforward to include in your broader systems monitoring strategy. Furthermore, Norsk Studio makes key information available in the UI:
Alternatively, you can use the Norsk Workflow Visualizer to view the detailed breakdown of your workflow.
Security
Norsk supports DRM encryption, access control, and other security features to protect your video content throughout the delivery workflow.
Location Flexibility
Deploy where your audience or workflow demands:
- In the cloud (AWS, GCP, Akamai, OCI)
- On-premises in a broadcast facility
- At the edge or even onsite at live venues
Norsk is designed to be agnostic to infrastructure, making it suitable for hybrid deployments and edge-centric video strategies. You’re not locked into a vendor-specific ecosystem.
Battle-tested
Norsk isn’t just powerful in theory; it is effective in the real world. A prime example is its deployment in the European Parliament by G&L Systemhaus, a leading systems integrator for professional video and audio streaming. With 720 members from 27 member states, the Parliament required a sophisticated streaming solution to handle multiple languages, high-density inputs, and flexible deployment across on-prem and cloud environments. G&L leveraged Norsk to achieve this with remarkable success: supporting 32 multilingual audio tracks per video stream.
This is just one example of our real-world deployments demonstrating that Norsk doesn’t just promise adaptability and performance; it delivers, even under the most technically demanding conditions.
Conclusion
Video packaging is a critical component of any streaming strategy, and Norsk’s flexible, scalable, and straightforward solutions deliver effectively. Whether providing a single live stream or operating a global multi-language broadcast, Norsk gives you the tools to do it quickly and reliably.
Want to find out more? Grab some time on our calendar to set up a demo.
