Streaming Pipeline Architecture

Ingest → Processing → Distribution

Pipeline

Multi-Protocol

Real-Time Transcoding

ABR Streaming

Pipeline Overview

Three-stage pipeline optimized for latency and quality

INGEST

Multi-Protocol
Ingestion

PROCESS

Real-Time
Transcoding

DISTRIBUTE

Global CDN
Delivery

50ms

Ingest Latency

500ms

Processing Time

50ms

Edge Delivery

Stage 1: Multi-Protocol Ingest

Accept streams from any source via WebRTC, SRT, RTMP, NDI, or OMT

WebRTC (WHIP Protocol)

Ultra-Low Latency: 300-800ms glass-to-glass latency enables real-time audience interaction (live polling, Q&A, auctions)

Zero Infrastructure Cost: Browser native - no plugins, decoders, or client SDKs needed. Reduce deployment complexity by 60%

Global Scale: Works across 275+ edge locations with automatic failover. Support 1M+ concurrent browsers per region

WHIP Standard: Standards-compliant WebRTC HTTP Ingestion Protocol for encoder compatibility

💰 Business Value: 42% increase in viewer engagement metrics when latency <500ms. Enables monetization through real-time interactivity (premium polls, live auctions)

// WebRTC ingestion via WHIP
const response = await fetch(whipUrl, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/sdp' },
  body: offer.sdp
});

const answer = await response.text();
await pc.setRemoteDescription({ type: 'answer', sdp: answer });

Best for: Interactive webinars, live commerce, gaming, browser-based events where audience engagement is key

Stage 2: Real-Time Processing

Transcode, optimize, and prepare streams for global delivery

Video Transcoding

ABR Ladder Generation

• 1080p @ 6 Mbps (Full HD)
• 720p @ 3 Mbps (HD)
• 480p @ 1.5 Mbps (SD)
• 360p @ 800 Kbps (Mobile)

Codec Support

H.264 (baseline), H.265/HEVC, VP9, AV1 (coming soon)

Audio Processing

Normalization

Automatic loudness normalization to -16 LUFS

Enhancement

Noise reduction, echo cancellation, AGC

Codecs

AAC-LC 128kbps stereo (default), Opus for WebRTC

Processing Speed: Hardware-accelerated transcoding processes streams in real-time with <500ms added latency using NVIDIA GPUs and Intel Quick Sync.

Stage 3: Global Distribution

Deliver streams globally via Cloudflare's edge network

HLS

Latency: 2-5 seconds

Compatibility: 100% of devices

Best for: VOD, recorded content

LL-HLS

Latency: 1-2 seconds

Compatibility: Modern devices

Best for: Sports, news, live events

WebRTC

Latency: 300-800ms

Compatibility: Browsers only

Best for: Interactive, gaming

Cloudflare CDN Integration

275+ edge locations worldwide

Sub-50ms latency for 95% of users

Automatic DDoS protection

99.99% uptime SLA

Intelligent caching and routing

Real-time analytics and monitoring

Performance Benchmarks

50ms

Ingest Latency

500ms

Processing Time

50ms

CDN Delivery

600ms

Total (WebRTC)