4, 8 and 16-Channel HDMI Encoder Guide
Choose the channel count by counting streams, then size the network before you choose the chassis
Multi-channel encoders are usually bought on the wrong number. The count that matters is not how many cameras you have, but how many independent streams you have to produce and carry. Get that wrong and you either pay for capacity you never use or discover the network is the limit, not the box.
This guide covers what a channel actually is, how to count the streams you need, how to size the uplink before choosing a chassis, and which ORIVISION models fit each count.
1. Port, channel, stream: get the words straight
Vendors use these three words loosely. On this class of device they mean different things, and the difference decides what you are buying.
A channel is one input
On an HDMI encoder, one channel means one HDMI input. A four-port HDMI encoder and a four-channel HDMI encoder describe the same class of device; the wording differs between vendors rather than between products.
A stream is one output
Each channel produces at least one stream, and some models publish several streams per channel. ZY-EH1304 is listed at four channels with four independent stream outputs per channel, sixteen in total, which can be pushed to separate destinations — a platform, a private server and a recording target, for example.
Network ports are a third, separate number
The count of HDMI inputs and the count of RJ45 ports are unrelated. ZY-EH404 has four HDMI inputs and one network port. ZY-EH1308 has eight HDMI inputs and two network ports. ZY-EH314-1U has four HDMI inputs and four network ports, which matters when channels must stay physically separated.
2. Count the streams, not the cameras
Channel count follows from the number of independent encodes you need, and that is not always the number of sources.
Work through these four questions before choosing a count
- How many sources must be encoded? One encode per source is the baseline.
- Does one feed go to several destinations? If a server re-publishes, one encode can serve many viewers. If the encoder itself must push to several targets, that is where models with multiple streams per channel matter.
- Does anything need a local picture? HDMI loop-out gives a monitor or a downstream switcher the same signal without consuming an encoded stream.
- Will you need cropping, multi-view or a different resolution per output? Each distinct layout is its own encode, so it consumes capacity even though the input count has not changed.
Buy for 12 to 18 months, not for today
Channel count is fixed by the chassis. If your venue count or source count is growing, buying to the current minimum is the more expensive decision, because the second device costs more than the larger first one.
3. Size the network first
The most common planning error is buying a channel count the uplink cannot carry. Do this arithmetic before comparing models.
The formula
Required uplink = channels × per-channel bitrate, plus headroom. Headroom covers protocol overhead and, if you are using SRT, retransmission on a lossy path. The port speed on the encoder is almost never the constraint; the internet connection is.
Round numbers for planning only. Your real bitrate depends on content, codec and accepted quality.
| Channels | Per-channel | Total video | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 Mbps | 24 Mbps | Comfortable on most business links |
| 8 | 6 Mbps | 48 Mbps | Needs a well-provisioned line |
| 8 | 12 Mbps | 96 Mbps | Dedicated link or fibre |
| 16 | 8 Mbps | 128 Mbps | Dedicated link; plan the path before the hardware |
| 16 | 16 Mbps | 256 Mbps | Beyond typical business internet; consider local aggregation |
Remember retransmission
On a lossy path, SRT re-sends missing packets, and those re-sends consume uplink capacity on top of the video. Leave room above the total video figure rather than designing to the limit.
Check the receiving side too
A link that works in one direction can still fail at the server if it has to re-publish the same volumes to several destinations, or store them while distributing them.
4. Chassis and density
Once the channel count and uplink are settled, chassis is a question of rack space and local wiring rather than capability.
Desktop units
Typically one to four channels in a small enclosure, powered by a single adaptor. ZY-EH404 and ZY-EH1304 both measure 238 × 122 × 28 mm, which mounts easily behind a display or on a shelf.
1U rack units
Rack chassis add density and, more usefully, front-panel status. ZY-EHP1414 is 485 × 200 × 45 mm with four HDMI inputs and four loop-out ports. ZY-EH1308 is 485 × 215 × 45 mm with eight HDMI inputs. ZY-EH314-1U is 482 × 200 × 44 mm with four inputs, four loop-out ports and four network ports.
3U chassis for high counts
Sixteen-channel models such as ZY-EH4116-3U and ZY-EH1416-3U concentrate a large channel count in one unit with centralised power and cabling, which is usually what makes a 16-channel installation manageable at all.
Cable access is a real constraint
Sixteen HDMI connectors plus their strain relief take more room at the back of a rack than the chassis width suggests. Allow for it in the rack plan rather than discovering it during commissioning.
5. Loop-out and local monitoring
Loop-out is the difference between a system you can diagnose and one you cannot.
What loop-out gives you
The HDMI input is passed through to an output connector before encoding. A local monitor, a confidence display or a downstream switcher sees the source signal without consuming an encoded stream and without depending on the network being up.
Which models have it
Single-channel models such as ZY-EH1301, ZY-EH1401 and ZY-ES1401 provide loop-out on their one input. ZY-EHP1414 and ZY-EH314-1U provide loop-out on all four of their HDMI inputs. Many high-channel-count models do not offer loop-out at all, so if local monitoring matters, decide before you commit to a channel count.
Why it matters at commissioning
With loop-out, a fault is quickly localised: if the local monitor shows a picture and the stream does not, the problem is the encode or the network, not the source. Without it, every fault starts with an unnecessary argument about the camera.
6. Current multi-channel encoder line-up
Specifications are quoted from each product page. Where a figure is published in different units from the others it is reproduced as published — confirm the range with us before designing to it.
| Model | HDMI inputs | Loop-out | Encoding | Max resolution | Chassis / bitrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZY-EH404 | 4 | – | H.264 | Up to 4 channels of 4K | 238 × 122 × 28 mm |
| ZY-EH1304 | 4 plus 4 audio | – | H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG | Up to 3840 × 2160 | 238 × 122 × 28 mm; 16 kbps – 12 Mbps |
| ZY-EH414 | 4 plus 4 analog audio | – | H.264 | 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz | 168 × 108 × 29 mm; 16 kB/s – 32 MB/s |
| ZY-EH314-1U | 4 | 4 HDMI | H.264 | 1080p@60Hz | 1U, 482 × 200 × 44 mm; 16 kbit/s – 16 Mbit/s |
| ZY-EHP1414 | 4 | 4 HDMI | H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG | 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz | 1U, 485 × 200 × 45 mm; 16 kbit/s – 16 Mbit/s |
| ZY-EH408 | 8 | – | H.264 | Up to 8 channels of 4K | 482 × 200 × 45 mm |
| ZY-EH1308 | 8 plus 8 audio | – | H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG | 4K@30Hz / 1080p@60Hz | 485 × 215 × 45 mm; 16 kbit/s – 16 Mbit/s |
| ZY-EH4116-3U | 16 plus 16 audio | – | H.264 | 3840 × 2160@30Hz | 3U; 16 kB/s – 32 MB/s |
FAQ
Related guides
Live Streaming Encoder Guide
From a single camera to a 16-channel rack: protocols, bitrate and interfaces explained before you choose a model
SRT Encoder Guide
What SRT actually fixes, the one setting most installations get wrong, and which models ship with it
H.265 HDMI Encoder Guide
Where HEVC earns its keep on an HDMI encoder, where it costs you, and how to check what your encoder is really sending
Tell us the channel count and the uplink — we will check the arithmetic
Send us how many sources you have, how many separate streams you need and what the site uplink actually delivers, and our engineers will confirm the channel count, the codec and whether one chassis is enough.
HDMI video encoder models — compare channels, inputs and protocols across the range.