You can choose different billing methods based on your usage to achieve significant cost savings. This topic explains how to estimate usage and select a suitable billing method.
Background information
User A is an entrepreneur in Hangzhou whose team developed an online education platform. They want to use Alibaba Cloud ApsaraVideo Media Processing to transcode recorded teaching videos into formats suitable for playback on PCs, TVs, and mobile terminals. They expect to add 100 new videos each month. The course videos are 30 to 50 minutes long and require standard transcoding. To ensure a good viewing experience on all devices, they plan to offer two definitions: standard definition (SD) 480p and high definition (HD) 720p. User A wants to find the most cost-effective billing method for this business scenario.
Case analysis
Based on the background information, User A requires the standard transcoding feature of ApsaraVideo Media Processing. The calculation is based on the following assumptions:
Video length: The average video length is assumed to be 40 minutes, based on the typical range of 30 to 50 minutes.
Definition: The output videos will be in 480p and 720p definitions.
The usage and fees in this example are estimates for reference only.
When you use ApsaraVideo Media Processing, dependent services such as Object Storage Service (OSS), Simple Message Queue (formerly MNS), and Content Delivery Network (CDN) are billed separately based on their own pricing.
Pay-as-you-go
Unit prices are subject to the information on the official Alibaba Cloud website. For more information, see ApsaraVideo Media Processing Pricing.
Calculation rule
If User A uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the transcoding fee is calculated using the following formula: Output file duration × Unit price for the output format.
Calculation method
Transcoding unit price
Output video 480p, which is LD (640 × 480) or lower: CNY 0.0217 per minute
Output video 720p, which is SD (1280 × 720) or lower: CNY 0.0326 per minute
Transcoding duration
Total duration for LD videos: 100 videos × 40 minutes = 4,000 minutes
Total duration for SD videos: 100 videos × 40 minutes = 4,000 minutes
Therefore, the average monthly transcoding fee is: 0.0217 × 4,000 + 0.0326 × 4,000 = CNY 217.2. The average annual transcoding fee is: 217.2 × 12 = CNY 2,606.4.
Subscription resource plan
Calculation rule
If User A uses a subscription resource plan, the transcoding fee is the annual cost of the plan. The duration of a transcoding plan is measured in minutes of standard H.264 LD transcoding. Usage for SD transcoding is deducted at a 1:1.5 ratio. For more information about deductions, see Introduction to resource plans.
Calculation method
Assuming no rapid business growth, User A's estimated annual transcoding usage is as follows:
Total duration for LD videos: 100 videos × 40 minutes × 12 months = 48,000 minutes per year
Total duration for SD videos: 100 videos × 40 minutes × 12 months = 48,000 minutes per year
Therefore, a 100,000-minute/year standard transcoding resource plan is recommended, which costs CNY 1,302 per year.
Summary
As the comparison shows, choosing a subscription resource plan is significantly more cost-effective.