At NAB 2026, Sardius Media, Backblaze, and Qencode sat down to talk multi-vendor video workflows. The result: a fireside chat on how Sardius architects tier-one live broadcasts for millions of concurrent viewers, and a full recap of everything they shared.

Generative AI gets the headlines. AI video infrastructure between master and viewer is where production economics are actually being rewritten.

This guide accompanies the Qencode × DoveRunner webinar, detailing the creation of a secure video pipeline with DRM encryption and forensic watermarking. It outlines prerequisites, architecture, and implementation steps for creating a working video pipeline while ensuring content protection and traceability. The document emphasizes collaborative security strategies for video content.

Sardius Media specializes in producing and distributing video for churches and nonprofits, utilizing a resilient, multi-provider architecture. By integrating Backblaze for storage and Qencode for transcoding, they enhance flexibility, reduce costs, and improve reliability amid operational risks. This approach allows them to scale effectively while maintaining quality and performance.

Qencode and Wasabi offer solutions for adopting AV1 codec in video workflows, addressing challenges like high encoding costs and playback compatibility. AV1 provides 41-57% bitrate reductions compared to H.264, making it ideal for scaling 4K and 8K content. This partnership facilitates efficient encoding and predictable storage costs without egress fees.

TagMango, a SaaS platform for creators, integrated Qencode and DoveRunner to improve video quality and protect premium content while ensuring quick playback. This solution enhanced operational efficiency, reducing processing time, and increasing creator confidence. As a result, creators now experience smoother video delivery, improved viewer satisfaction, and effective content protection.

As video content evolves from HD to higher resolutions like 4K and 8K, storage and processing demands increase significantly. Qencode and Wasabi offer integrated solutions for efficient video workflows, combining automated encoding with transparent storage costs. This partnership addresses the complexities of modern video demands, ensuring scalability and cost-effectiveness.

This content outlines the significant cost savings achievable through machine learning (ML) powered encoding for video delivery. By applying efficient encoding techniques, platforms can reduce their delivery costs over 24 months by up to 7 million dollars compared to fixed methods. Ignoring encoding efficiency can lead to escalating expenses as content volume grows.

Qencode leverages NVIDIA architecture to enhance machine learning video compression, addressing inefficiencies in traditional encoding practices. By analyzing scenes across multiple dimensions, their approach reduces file sizes by an average of 60% without compromising quality. This strategic deployment of GPU resources supports scalable customer demands and optimizes cost-effectiveness in video delivery.

AV1 encoding is now significantly more affordable and efficient, reducing bitrates by 40-57% compared to H.264 and H.265 while maintaining quality. Qencode’s update allows easy integration of AV1 alongside existing codecs, ensuring compatibility across devices. Emphasizing cost savings and improved viewer experience, AV1 promotes engagement and retention for streaming platforms.