Live Streaming Encoder Guide

From a single camera to a 16-channel rack: understand protocols, bitrate and interfaces before choosing a model

In any live production chain, the encoder is the one device that decides most of what the audience experiences. It sets picture quality, bitrate and the transport protocol, and it determines what happens the moment the network misbehaves.

This page answers four practical questions: why choose a hardware encoder, how to read latency and bitrate, which protocol fits which job, and how to handle multiple channels or unusual sources. Model specifications below are quoted from the relevant ORIVISION product pages.

1. Why use a hardware encoder

You can run software encoding on a PC. Here is when dedicated hardware earns its keep.

24/7 continuous operation

A hardware encoder is a purpose-built embedded appliance with no OS updates, antivirus scans or competing workloads competing for resources.

No PC at the venue

Connect source and network and it runs. Nothing else needs to be on site, and nobody has to reboot anything between sessions.

Multiple simultaneous channels

One camera on software is fine. Four, eight or sixteen concurrent streams is where multichannel hardware wins on both cost and stability.

Failure is not an option

Watchdog behaviour, predictable recovery and a fixed, repeatable parameter set make it far easier to get identical results every session.

2. Reading latency and bitrate

These two figures carry most of the weight for both experience and cost.

Latency comes from three places: encoding itself, network transport, and buffering at the player. Taking 1080p as an example, the ORIVISION entry model ZY-EH1211 tops out at 1920x1080@30Hz while ZY-EH1201 reaches 1920x1080@60Hz. If you need a hard end-to-end figure, give an engineer the protocol, bitrate and player together and ask for a measured value - quoting milliseconds without those three conditions is meaningless.

Bitrate: several ORIVISION models support CBR/VBR rate control spanning 16 Kbps to 20 Mbps (some models are listed with lower ceilings such as 12 Mbps or 16 Mbps; check the individual product page). In practice, leaving roughly a third of your upstream bandwidth unused holds up far better than running it flat out.

3. Choosing a protocol

ORIVISION encoders generally support HTTP, RTSP, RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, ONVIF, GB28181, RTP, UDP multicast/unicast, FLV and HLS. The usual choices:

RTMP / RTMPS to platforms

The standard route to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and similar destinations. RTMPS is the encrypted variant.

SRT across the public internet

Designed for unreliable networks, with packet-loss recovery and jitter buffering. Far more robust than raw UDP for long-haul or multi-site links.

RTSP / ONVIF / GB28181 for surveillance

The common options for NVRs, VMS platforms and GB/T 28181 compliant systems, widely used in security projects.

HLS / FLV for distribution

Pull-based playback for internal portals and your own players.

UDP / RTP multicast

One stream to many receivers on the LAN, saving upstream bandwidth.

4. H.265 or H.264

Most ORIVISION encoders support H.265, H.264 and MJPEG, so you can switch per project.

H.265 (HEVC)

Meaningfully lower bitrate than H.264 at comparable quality, which suits constrained bandwidth and long unattended runs. Verify compatibility with older players and downstream platforms first.

H.264 (AVC)

The safest bet for compatibility with public platforms, legacy decoders and third-party integrations.

MJPEG

Available on selected models where frame independence and low decoding complexity matter.

5. Channel count and unusual sources

Camera count and source type often decide the model before picture quality enters the conversation.

A single camera

Compact units such as ZY-EH1211, ZY-EH311 and ZY-EH1201 measure about 125x72x25 mm and can be tucked beside the source equipment.

4 or 8 channels

ZY-EH1304 provides four HDMI 1.4 inputs with independent audio; ZY-EH404 and ZY-EH408 handle 4 and 8 HDMI inputs respectively, the latter with two RJ45 ports.

Rack mounting

ZY-EH1411-1U is a standard 1U chassis; ZY-EH3116-3U takes 16 HDMI inputs with 16 channels of embedded audio, suited to centralised equipment rooms.

Sources that are not HDMI

For SDI cameras choose ZY-ES1401 with SDI loop-out. Legacy equipment with only VGA output is covered by ZY-EV1201 with VGA loop-out.

6. Current encoder comparison

Listed fewest to most channels. Specifications are quoted from each product page; a dash means the page does not state it and you should ask us directly.

Model Video Encoding Max Resolution Video Interfaces Protocols & Notes
ZY-EH1211 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 1920x1080@30Hz HDMI in plus 3.5 mm audio; RJ45 and HDMI loop-out HTTP/RTSP/RTMP/RTMPS/SRT/ONVIF/GB28181/RTP/UDP/FLV/HLS
ZY-EH311 H.265 / H.264 1920x1080@30Hz HDMI in plus audio; RJ45 and HDMI loop-out HTTP/RTSP/RTMP/RTMPS/SRT/UDP/FLV/HLS; audio AAC/G711
ZY-EH1201 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 1920x1080@60Hz HDMI in plus audio; RJ45 and HDMI loop-out Full protocol set; 125x72x25 mm body, 0.2 kg
ZY-EH1301 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz HDMI in plus 3.5 mm audio; HDMI loop-out and RJ45 Full protocol set; 1000M adaptive Ethernet; 16 Kbps-20 Mbps
ZY-EH1401 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz HDMI in plus audio; HDMI loop-out and network port Full protocol set; LCD shows IP address, resolution and status
ZY-EH1304 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 3840x2160 input supported HDMI 1.4 x4 plus audio x4; RJ45 x1 (1000M) SRT/HTTP/RTSP/RTMP/RTMPS/HLS/FLV/UDP/RTP; 16 kbps-12 Mbps
ZY-EH404 H.264 Up to 4 channels of 4K in/out 4 HDMI inputs; RJ45 x1 Compact chassis, 23.8x12.2x2.8 cm
ZY-EH408 H.264 Up to 8 channels of 4K in/out 8 HDMI inputs; RJ45 x2 Chassis 48.2x20x4.5 cm
ZY-EH1411-1U H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz HDMI in plus HDMI loop-out Full protocol set; 1U rack chassis with IP/resolution display
ZY-EH3116-3U - 1920x1080 16 HDMI inputs plus 16 embedded audio channels CBR/VBR 16 kbit/s to 16 Mbit/s; chassis 48.2x30x13.3 cm
ZY-ES1401 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 1920x1080@60Hz SDI in plus 3.5 mm audio; SDI loop-out and network port Full protocol set; 1000M adaptive port; 1080P/1080i/720P/576P/576i/480P/480i input
ZY-EV1201 H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG 1920x1080@30Hz VGA in plus 3.5 mm audio; VGA loop-out and RJ45 Full protocol set; broad VESA resolution input support

FAQ

Mainly unattended stability and not occupying a computer. A hardware encoder is an embedded appliance built for 24/7 duty cycles and multiple concurrent streams. Models with an LCD such as ZY-EH1401 also show IP address and status on the spot, which speeds up troubleshooting.
RTMP is the usual choice, or RTMPS where encryption is required. ORIVISION encoders support both, alongside SRT, HLS and FLV. Use the ingest URL and stream key generated in each platform dashboard.
Use SRT. It was designed for unreliable networks and provides packet-loss recovery and jitter buffering; most ORIVISION models support it. For NVR and surveillance platform integration, use RTSP, ONVIF or GB28181 instead.
No - it depends on the receiving end. H.265 delivers noticeably lower bitrate at comparable quality, but check compatibility with older players and platforms first. For public streams where you are unsure, H.264 is the safer default. Most models switch between them freely.
Choose by input count: 4 channels point to ZY-EH1304 or ZY-EH404, 8 channels to ZY-EH408, and 16 channels with centralised deployment to ZY-EH3116-3U. The 1U ZY-EH1411-1U covers rack-mounted single-channel needs.
For SDI cameras choose ZY-ES1401 with SDI loop-out. Legacy devices with only VGA output are covered by ZY-EV1201 with VGA loop-out.
Several models support CBR/VBR from 16 Kbps to 20 Mbps (ZY-EH1304 is listed at 16 kbps to 12 Mbps; follow the individual product page). In practice, leave roughly a third of your real upstream bandwidth free rather than pushing it to the limit.
End-to-end delay depends on four variables: protocol, bitrate, network conditions and player buffering. Any millisecond number quoted without those is unreliable. Tell us your actual scenario and we can evaluate it properly.

Describe your streaming chain, we will handle the rest

Give us camera count, source type, target platform and available bandwidth, and our engineers will return a shortlist of models with recommended settings.

Talk to an engineer