Add video features without designing an encoding pipeline. Chunkify brings preparation, streaming, and optional AI captions into one Asset API, with uploader and player components for your application. Compare that workflow with AWS Elemental MediaConvert.
Updated October 15, 2026 · VOD comparison
Your storage. Your delivery.
Elemental MediaConvertYou want to ship VOD without choosing codecs, bitrates, or streaming ladders. Chunkify manages preparation, early playback, and encoding on demand. Add uploader and player components, then request AI captions and translations through the same Asset API.
Application componentsYou need detailed encoding and packaging controls, broadcast formats, HDR processing, or DRM integration within an AWS workflow. MediaConvert manages encoding and can select an adaptive ladder automatically.
You are ready to assemble more of the application integration. MediaConvert itself does not bundle an embeddable uploader, playback component, or viewer analytics SDK. Connect those separately using your own code, third-party tools, or other AWS services.
MediaConvert capabilitiesBoth services process video into customer-owned output. Chunkify includes a VOD preparation and playback lifecycle. MediaConvert provides file-based jobs that you connect to the rest of your application.
Any S3-compatible storage, including S3 and R2
Your provider, domain, and delivery rates
Uploader, Chunkify Player or HLS player, and analytics events.
Generated files remain in your AWS account
CloudFront or another CDN serving the output
Connect upload, job events, a compatible player, and viewer analytics.
For standard VOD, Chunkify chooses the streaming settings for you. One Asset API manages preparation, playback URLs, posters, timeline previews, and optional generated captions and translations.
Connect storage and delivery, create an Asset from a source, and use its playback URL. Use the supplied uploader and player instead of building those components. Request captions through the Asset API, or configure a Project workflow to generate and translate them automatically.
Your application uses Chunkify's API and lifecycle events. You do not have to connect a separate speech-to-text service or build the caption publication workflow. Caption generation and translation have separate processing charges.
MediaConvert provides encoding jobs, presets, and Automated ABR. You still connect the upload experience, job completion, delivery, player, and viewer analytics. For AI-generated captions, AWS documents a workflow combining Amazon Transcribe with MediaConvert.
MediaConvert can convert and package supplied captions. Speech recognition is a separate service integration. AWS reference solutions can help assemble the workflow, while its configuration and service permissions remain part of your application setup.
MediaConvert output in your S3 bucket is portable too. Chunkify writes directly to any S3-compatible storage, including Amazon S3 and Cloudflare R2. Moving MediaConvert output from S3 to another storage provider requires a transfer workflow and its associated costs.
Owning the files and delivery domain reduces dependence on either processor. Changing services still requires replacing API calls, events, and any deferred-encoding integration.
Compare VOD preparation with two MediaConvert configurations. These are processing estimates, not complete hosting bills or measured quality comparisons. Keep the same storage and CDN when evaluating the processing difference.
1080p VOD preparation · streaming included
Monthly processing only · USDManual ladder · single-pass AVC
Monthly processing only · USDProfessional · multi-pass AVC + audio
Monthly processing only · USDHold the produced output counts fixed and vary new input minutes. The curve includes the applicable AWS volume steps for this example. Plan fees and credits stay in the totals above.
Modeled AWS output per input: 4 video renditions, 2 HD and 2 SD. Automated ABR also includes 1 audio-only output.
Hover or use arrow keys to inspect values. Select a legend series to isolate it.
New input minutes / month
Chunkify: input minutes with automatic streaming generation included. AWS: every modeled produced rendition, using normalized output minutes. Charges before credits; output quality is not benchmarked.
Neither processor sets your CDN's playback tariff. With the same delivery provider and identical delivered bytes and requests, the delivery bill is the same.
Chunkify can publish directly to R2 with zero-priced egress. MediaConvert writes to S3; another CDN can serve it, or a transfer workflow can copy it elsewhere. Compare those complete setups separately, including publication transfer and requests.
Content-aware selection and viewer-triggered processing solve different problems. Both services can choose useful streaming outputs; their preparation workflows differ.
Per-title analysis selects resolutions and bitrates. A fallback becomes playable during preparation. A planned production rendition starts encoding when a player requests it, so an unrequested quality stays unencoded.
A request starts the full rendition, even if the viewer watches briefly. Preparation and fallback media still exist. Early playback and completed production quality are different states.
Per-title preparationAutomated ABR analyzes the source and removes candidates that add bandwidth without a useful quality gain. It uses QVBR and selects outputs during the job, rather than waiting for a viewer to request a quality.
Your application publishes the resulting package through its own workflow. Compare measured time to playable media and completed quality with the same source files; no universal speed ranking is assumed here.
Automated ABR behaviorFor a VOD application, include uploads, playback, captions, events, and analytics. For a custom encoding pipeline, compare the exact formats and controls required.
Swipe the table to compare both platforms.
| Capability | Chunkify | MediaConvert |
|---|---|---|
| Processing charges | VOD preparation by input duration and resolution. Automatic streaming generation included. | Normalized output minutes. Produced outputs, settings, region, and monthly volume affect the bill. |
| Adaptive streaming | Per-title ladder selection and HLS playback. | HLS, DASH, CMAF, and other output groups. Automated ABR is available for AVC and HEVC. |
| When production encoding starts | When a planned rendition is requested. Early playback uses a fallback. | As part of a submitted file-based job. Automated ABR selects the outputs within that job. |
| Input and output storage | Uploads, URLs, or connected inputs. Write to any S3-compatible storage, including Amazon S3 and Cloudflare R2. Input and output can differ. | S3 and eligible public HTTP(S) inputs. Output destinations are Amazon S3. |
| Delivery and ownership | Your bucket, CDN, and domain. Provider charges remain separate. | Your S3 output and choice of delivery integration. MediaConvert does not bundle CDN delivery. |
| AI-generated captions | Generate and translate speech subtitles through the Asset API. Optional Project workflows automate the steps. | Convert or package existing captions in MediaConvert. Automatic speech transcription uses a separate service such as Amazon Transcribe. |
| Application components | Supplied uploader and player, plus compatible HLS playback. | No application uploader or player bundled with MediaConvert. Integrate upload handling and a compatible player separately. |
| Playback statistics | Reports watch time, startup, and buffering. Chunkify-hosted analytics with 30-day retention on both plans, or self-host the open-source server. SDK exports to other providers are also supported. | Viewer instrumentation is separate. MediaConvert's CloudWatch metrics describe encoding operations, queues, jobs, and outputs. |
| Processing events | Video lifecycle events and application workflows. | Job status and output events through Amazon EventBridge. |
| Custom encoding | Standalone H.264, H.265, AV1, and VP9 with supported per-title, bitrate, and CRF targets. | Extensive codec, packaging, audio, captions, HDR, and professional media controls. |
Chunkify also works as a standalone transcoder. Choose supported per-title, bitrate, or CRF targets with codec, dimensions, frame-rate, and trim controls, then save output to connected storage.
Standalone Chunkify processing is billed by output minutes, separately from VOD preparation. MediaConvert is also a standalone transcoder, with a broader professional-media feature set. Compare the required output settings rather than applying the VOD calculator to every encoding job.
A service's full feature list does not apply to every mode, queue, or price. Keep these conditions beside the workflow you plan to use.
Configure storage, CDN, and browser access. Include provider requests, storage, publication transfer, and any analytics destination in your complete estimate.
Storage & CDNTesting outputs in Chunkify temporary storage are deleted after 24 hours. Configure lasting storage for production playback.
Storage retentionPreparation publishes fallback media. A request starts the whole production rendition. Avoided encoding does not reduce the fixed preparation charge.
Preparation lifecycleUse Chunkify-hosted analytics with 30-day retention on both plans, self-host the open-source server, or send events to your existing tools. Its read-only MCP server lets AI agents query view totals, inspect playback sessions, and export CSV reports.
Playback analyticsUse an on-demand queue, AVC or HEVC, QVBR, and Multi-pass HQ. All ABR groups in the job must use Automated ABR. Broader codec support does not extend this mode to AV1.
ABR restrictionsEach output has a 10-second billing minimum and one-second duration increments. Many short clips can cost more than a duration-only estimate.
Billing granularityReserved pricing requires a minimum 12-month commitment. Features including Automated ABR, accelerated transcoding, and AV1 are unavailable in that mode.
Reserved queue limitsPublic HTTP(S) input must support HEAD and range GET, require no authentication, and have no URL parameters. Private S3 access uses the separate AWS permissions workflow.
HTTP input rulesMediaConvert removes job records after three months. Retain events or job settings if needed. This is not automatic deletion of media in your S3 bucket.
Job record retentionAlready using MediaConvert with S3 and CloudFront? Connect that existing storage and delivery setup to Chunkify. You can migrate processing without moving your library to a new storage provider or replacing your CDN.
Add your S3 bucket to the Project and configure your existing CloudFront delivery domain. Verify access to retained originals, output paths, origin permissions, and browser access.
Use server-created Upload sessions or a supported existing source. Save stable playback, poster, and timeline URLs from the Asset lifecycle.
Test new Chunkify assets through your existing CloudFront distribution. Check quality, captions, access controls, and analytics. Update the application with the new playback URLs while keeping old output available during the switch.
Chunkify handles the video decisions behind a standard VOD flow, so you can build application features without selecting codecs, bitrates, or ladder rungs. Its Asset API manages streaming preparation, posters, timeline previews, and optional captions and translations. Uploader, player, and analytics components reduce the browser integration work. You connect your backend, storage, CDN, and analytics destination.
Yes. Request speech captions and translations through Chunkify's Asset API, or configure a Project workflow to create them automatically. Chunkify handles generation and publication as Asset caption tracks; these have separate processing charges. MediaConvert handles supplied captions, while AWS documents combining it with Amazon Transcribe to generate captions from speech. That requires connecting the services and their workflow.
MediaConvert exposes encoding statistics through CloudWatch, including queue time, job errors, and output duration, plus job events through EventBridge. Viewer watch time, startup delay, and buffering need separate playback instrumentation. Chunkify supplies that instrumentation through its analytics SDK and sends events to your chosen destination. Chunkify Analytics provides hosted or self-hosted collection and reports, with 30-day retention on both hosted plans.
VOD preparation is billed once by input duration and resolution, with automatic streaming generation included. The processing charge does not multiply with each streaming rendition. Encoding on demand can avoid storing unrequested qualities, and direct output to supported providers gives you more infrastructure choices. Compare the required quality and full workflow; a small Basic MediaConvert job can still cost less.
Both services can select useful streaming renditions based on the source. With Chunkify VOD, you pay once for preparation by input duration and resolution; automatic streaming generation is included, so four streaming renditions do not mean four processing charges. MediaConvert Automated ABR charges normalized output minutes for every rendition it writes, using its required Professional settings. Discarded candidates are not billed. Chunkify standalone transcoding and optional static outputs have separate pricing.
Yes. Connect your existing S3 bucket and CloudFront distribution to Chunkify instead of replacing your storage and CDN. Use retained originals to prepare new assets, then update your application's playback URLs after validation. Check storage permissions, output paths, CloudFront origin access, and browser access. Existing generated files can remain available while you switch processing; new Chunkify assets have their own lifecycle and playback URLs.
Yes. Keep a compatible HLS player or use Chunkify Player. Your existing delivery domain can stay in place while you update the application to use the new assets' playback URLs and lifecycle events.
Yes. Use standalone output encoding with supported H.264, H.265, AV1, or VP9 settings and per-title, bitrate, or CRF targets. These jobs use output-minute pricing. Evaluate MediaConvert when your requirements include its broadcast formats, advanced audio, HDR, or DRM-related processing.