Terminology mindgames: replacing Unified Transcoding with Media Processing Unit

4 min read

Terminology mindgames: replacing Unified Transcoding with Media Processing Unit—and making life better for everyone

February 14, 2025

Unified Transcoding has always been a challenge for us. For several reasons.

For one, Unified Transcoding led to misunderstandings, because it didn't perform all the functions typically expected of a “Transcoder.” Instead, it focused on supporting Unified Streaming's products when a specific feature needed media transcoding, mostly of single segments. Two, it requires on-premise installation. Three, its dependency on third-party software, the Intel SDK, was, let’s say, problematic. (Yeah, we weren’t happy about it, either.)

This whole time, we’ve been committed to making our product—and the world of streaming—better for everyone. And now, we’re taking another small step in that direction.

Unified Streaming is excited to introduce its new product: the Media Processing Unit (MPU). This solution is simpler, more efficient, and more flexible.

So what’s inside?

MPU stands for Media Processing Unit. Okay. So what is it?

Unified Streaming's MPU (Media Processing Unit) is an add-on that enhances streaming workflows by enabling media generation and processing capabilities. This functionality is particularly beneficial for content stitching, ad insertion, and the creation of personalized streams. (That’s where precise control over media segments is crucial.)

To amp up the possibilities of streams, MPU integrates with other Unified Streaming products: Unified Capture, Unified Remix and Unified Packager. Users can leverage the power of MPU to achieve seamless transitions. And they can deploy MPU to maintain high-quality streaming experiences across various platforms and devices.

Enhancing the delivery and personalization of streaming content is MPU’s main goal. It’s not a standalone product, by the way. It’s a universal booster for your existing (and future) workflow(s), all based on Unified Streaming’s products.

Go on, let MPU magic happen

Let’s dive into some real-world scenarios where the Media Processing Unit (MPU) shines. Whether you're optimizing media workflows, enhancing content quality, or unlocking new monetization opportunities, MPU brings versatility and efficiency to the table.

Create thumbnails that make scrubbing a breeze

Remember rewinding a video, trying to find the moment you wanted to relive? (Maybe, and okay this might just be me, the moment in Gladiator II when Paul Mescal claps his hands in the dead center of the Coliseum?) Rewinding can be so unkind, right? Those wonky thumbnail previews often worsen the experience, slowing down user interaction.

Enter MPU's feature called JPEG Thumb Track. It lets you automatically generate an MP4 track filled with sleek JPEG thumbnails. Improving aesthetics is part of it, of course. But it also ensures compatibility with even low-end devices, delivering smooth trickplay functionality. We see you, people who haven’t ponied up thousands for the latest OLED screen and are still rocking a flatscreen from 2010. Thumb Track gives seamlessness. A user experience so seamless that relocating exactly the point where you departed, and want to embark again, feels otherworldly. End users will send thank-you notes.* (*Not guaranteed.)

Clip highlights, not headaches

Remember TV from your childhood? You’re watching your show, the main character’s about to reveal some major plot point, and—boom! An ad breaks in mid-sentence. Not cool, right? Now flash forward to today. And imagine sharing a highlight or a replay of that exact moment from your old show. But clumsy trims and imprecise edits block you this time.

With MPU’s frame-accurate capture, those experiences are bygones. Need to extract the perfect 30-second clip from a live stream or archive? Done. No pre-processing, no shoddy cuts—just clean, sharp segments ready for social sharing, building highlight reels, and storing in your content archive. Whether it’s a game-winning goal, a keynote speech, or the perfect cinematic moment, MPU lets your clips shine.

Remix, repurpose, (re)monetize: make it happen

Content is king, but repurposing content is magic. MPU enables precise media conditioning with its Remix Media Conditioning feature.

Stitch VOD sources, prep content for ad insertion, and correct your EPG—all with frame-accurate precision. Insert pre-, mid-, and post-rolls. Condition media for seamless server-side ad insertion (SSAI) and dynamic ad insertion (DAI). You can extract more value from your existing content, doing all this. And you can get smoother workflows.

The future: just-in-time innovations

MPU's flexible architecture opens up exciting prospects for future exploration. Features like JIT generation of AV1/HEVC variants, watermarking, and even fade-in/fade-out effects could potentially become part of MPU’s toolkit.

Think of MPU as a Swiss Army knife. A multitool for media processing. (Yeah, we know this metaphor’s overdone.) It’s tricked out. It’s got a lotta gadgets onboard.

But this multitool’s even got room to grow its functionality. It has space to adapt to streaming needs that just might arise. While these ideas are just concepts as of yet, just whisps of fog on the streaming horizon for now, they do stand for the flexibility and potential of MPU. As we continue to innovate, we can very likely continue to offer you more with the product.