Plex is using Bitmovin’s VOD Encoder on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to power its premium video store, a move the companies say has already cut CDN costs by 23% and storage by 55%. The partnership is designed to control the ballooning costs of delivering high-quality video streams as the platform scales.
The scaling squeeze: As Plex grew its premium library for 25 million users, it needed a way to maintain sharp video quality without driving up streaming expenses. The company was also looking for a way to integrate security features like forensic watermarking to protect its licensed titles.
Per-title perfection: The solution centered on Bitmovin’s "Per-Title Encoding" feature. The technology creates a unique bitrate ladder for each individual video, which optimizes the viewing experience and shrinks file sizes, saving on storage and delivery costs.
The deal reflects a wider industry push to get a handle on infrastructure costs. For a platform like Plex, which juggles personal media, a massive FAST library, and a premium rental business, these savings in the video pipeline free up cash for content and product development. The move to optimize its premium backend comes as Plex continues to expand its free streaming lineup with new channels. Meanwhile, Bitmovin has been busy on the client-side, recently releasing a new SDK to help developers build video applications more efficiently.
