General FAQ
What is Gcore Video Streaming?
Gcore Video Streaming is a global, high-load streaming PaaS designed for live and on-demand video at massive scale. The platform supports LL-HLS, LL-DASH, HLS MPEG-TS, HLS/DASH CMAF, and MP4, and reliably delivers streams from SD up to 8K. It is built to handle 1M+ concurrent viewers with ultra-low latency and includes AI services, live overlays, playlists, subtitles, restreaming, recording, clipping, and detailed playback analytics. For startups and SMBs- Fast onboarding with a built-in player
- Free Full HD transcoding and PAYG pricing
- Easy scale-up from trial to production
- Basic analytics included
- Proven scale: 1M+ concurrent, 100M+ total viewers
- Enterprise security (DRM, tokens, encryption, GDPR)
- Anti-DDoS, WAF/WAAP, global edge protection
- SLA, QoE observability, and priority support
Can you bill per GB instead of per minute?
Yes. But per-GB billing is available via custom enterprise CDN plans only.Please contact your account manager to enable this option.
Is usage calculated in seconds or minutes?
All usage is measured in seconds internally and then aggregated and displayed in minutes for billing clarity. Rounding up to the nearest integer is used.How are services charged?
For billing terms and conditions, please see the separate section Streaming usage and billing metrics.How can I estimate usage and pricing?
You can calculate a rough monthly estimate using the Streaming Platform pricing calculator. It covers the full workflow:- Transcoding (included by default),
- Storage for VOD and recorded live streams,
- CDN delivery, based on viewing time.
- total video duration,
- expected number of viewers,
- average watch time per viewer.
What video qualities are included in free transcoding?
Free transcoding includes multi-bitrate encoding up to Full HD (1080p) for both horizontal and vertical (mobile) video. Available qualities include:- LQ — Low Quality
- SD — Standard Definition
- HD — High Definition
- FHD — Full HD
Why does billing show more minutes than I actually watched?
Billing is based on data delivered, not only on what was watched. If a player buffers video segments, those segments are delivered by the CDN and therefore billed. For example, if 30 seconds of video are buffered but playback stops after 1 second, the full 30 seconds are still counted as delivered.Why is video usage billed in minutes instead of GB?
Minutes are the clearest and most predictable unit for video usage. Video duration is fixed, while file size in GB varies significantly depending on codec, bitrate ladder, resolution, frame rate, and encoding profile. Gcore uses a single unified storage model for each video asset. This storage includes:- video and audio streams,
- all transcoded renditions,
- metadata, thumbnails, previews, and technical artifacts.
- Free multi-bitrate transcoding
- Unified storage for the entire video entity
- Delivery billed by actual viewing duration
AI FAQ
What AI video features are available?
AI services are available for VOD workflows, including:- Automatic speech recognition (ASR) and subtitle translation
- Content moderation (nudity, violence)
Live Streaming FAQ
Can I go live directly from a browser?
Yes. Using WebRTC WHIP, you can publish directly from a browser or browser-based app that captures camera and microphone input. You can also start a stream directly from the Customer Portal dashboard or integrate streaming into your own UI via API/SDK.Can I broadcast a pre-recorded video as live?
Yes. This is supported via Live Imitation (Simulated Live / Playout). Upload a VOD asset and schedule it to run as a live stream, creating a real-time viewing experience. If you need to publish this stream to social platforms, it can be combined with restreaming. More details: Simulated live from VODCan I restream my live stream to social platforms?
Yes. Restreaming (simulcasting) is available as an add-on service (€0.10 per stream under 24 hours). Send one contribution stream and distribute it simultaneously to platforms like Facebook while serving viewers through Gcore. More details: RestreamingCan I use multiple audio tracks in live streams?
No. Live streams currently support one audio track only (AAC stereo). Multi-track or multi-channel audio is not supported at this time. More details: Input parameters and codecsCan viewers rewind or pause a live stream?
Yes. The DVR (time-shift) feature allows viewers to pause and rewind live streams while the broadcast continues. More details: Pause and rewind live streamsDo you support 2-way video calls or conferencing?
No. Gcore does not support direct WebRTC-to-WebRTC communication. The platform focuses on one-to-many delivery at scale using HTTP-based protocols (LL-HLS, LL-DASH). Direct WebRTC relay is not supported anymore.Do you support WebRTC ingest?
Yes. Gcore supports WebRTC ingest via WHIP, with transcoding to LL-HLS / LL-DASH for scalable delivery. More details: WebRTC ingest (WHIP)What is the maximum duration of a live stream?
- One-time live streams: up to 24 hours
- Continuous streams: 24/7/365, available with the 24/7 transcoding option (enabled via your manager)
What latency can I expect for live streams?
All live streams are low-latency optimized by default, delivering approximately 2–4 seconds glass-to-glass using LL-HLS or LL-DASH. For legacy HLS MPEG-TS workflows (.m3u8 / .ts), a reduced-latency mode of ~9 seconds is available to maximize compatibility.
More details: How low latency streaming works