Azure Media Services retirement: Where to migrate?
Last updated: 31 July 2023
In recent news, Microsoft’s Azure Media Services announced its retirement, leaving users seeking alternative solutions to meet their requirements. And what could be a better alternative than a platform that was specifically built for streaming?
Recognising the potential challenges involved in transitioning to a new platform, we are here to provide comprehensive guidance throughout the entire process. Leveraging our expertise and emphasis on streaming technology, migrating your media assets to Jet-Stream Cloud becomes a breeze.
Explore the full spectrum of Jet-Stream Cloud’s benefits that extend far beyond AMS, encompassing Multi CDN integration, superior performance, radio streaming, podcasting, advanced analytics, and more.
Live encoding
Migration complexity: 1/5 stars
Azure Media Services provided two options for live streaming: Passthrough and Live encoding. Our platform offers the same choices. When you create a stream with us, you have the freedom to decide whether you want to Passthrough original stream or transcode (known as Live encoding in AMS terms) it into multiple bitrates.
Besides, by using OnAir 4K you can also start live streaming straight from your browser in a few seconds. Just open OnAir into your browser, start live stream in one click, publish the video in a second click and that’s it. There is no step 3.
Our platform takes care of essential tasks like packaging and shielding automatically, eliminating the need for you to navigate through complex settings or make difficult choices. With Jet-Stream, streaming is a seamless and hassle-free experience.
Remote file
Migration complexity: 1/5 stars
What in AMS is called a remote file is called a remote origin on our platform. A remote origin is a technique that lets the Jet-Stream CDN cache a complete directory from an external source. This could be all content available on a (your) server, or just a single directory on the external server. This functionality is included for free with Jet-Stream.
Media encoding (VOD)
Migration complexity: 2/5 stars
In addition to live streaming capabilities, in our platform, you can also upload your own videos (which we refer to as ‘Assets’) and transcode them into several other qualities and resolutions. This process is effortlessly achieved through a user-friendly wizard that simplifies the setup of different encoding profiles.
Migrating all your current assets that are stored in Azure Media Service buckets is also possible. We offer an array of extensive import options that cater to your specific requirements. Feel free to reach out to us for more information, including details on whether re-encoding of assets is necessary or if the transcoded assets from AMS can be used.
Although migration takes some time, almost no work from your side is required. Isn’t that great?!
Packaging
Migration complexity: 1/5 stars
Packaging, or transmuxing as we call it, is fully included in our platform. When you upload an asset to our platform make sure you upload them as “Streaming Asset” and the muxing to HLS (packaging) will happen automatically and without any additional steps. And for live streaming, it is the same, our platform will automatically mux the incoming stream to HLS to be served to your player.
High availability
Migration complexity: 1/5 stars
Jet-Stream ensures high availability of Assets (VOD) across multiple locations. Unlike Azure Media Services, where setting up zones and additional configurations are necessary, we simplify the process by provisioning every account to ensure high availability. However, for live streaming, it is recommended to send your encoder signal to two locations to guarantee uninterrupted service.
Azure Media Services HTML5 Player
Migration complexity: 2/5 stars
Our platform offers a player that outperforms Azure’s capabilities. Just like Azure Media Player, Privacy Player Pro supports a wide range of formats and provides multilingual audio and multilingual subtitles. However, we go beyond Azure by providing an embedded code generator, granting you extensive customisation options. For instance, our Privacy Player Pro allows you to tailor the look and feel of your player to match your brand, incorporate your logo and interactive overlays. Or include captivating call-to-actions to guide viewers to take desired actions. We also support different monetization models. Click here to learn more about that.
We understand that the most complex part is replacing the embed codes you have on your websites. So, our team will help you with that!
We are here to help
While migrations can be challenging, our technical onboarding program is designed to assist you. Therefore, if you want a smooth and efficient migration, please reach out to us and we’ll schedule a technical meeting to discuss how we can support you.
