# Long videos, 4K and 8K

Plan three-hour VOD workflows with an interactive package-size and upload-time calculator, source-aware resolution ladders and recovery guidance.

Canonical: https://docs.drm-x.com/packaging/large-videos
Updated: 2026-09-09

![Your backend decides access; DRM-X enforces the signed policy. Encrypted media and DRM licenses follow separate delivery paths.](https://docs.drm-x.com/assets/media-license-flow.svg)Your backend decides access; DRM-X enforces the signed policy. Encrypted media and DRM licenses follow separate delivery paths.

## Plan a long video before encoding[#](#plan-a-long-video-before-encoding)

The Packager includes Full HD, 4K and 8K rendition settings and segmented upload recovery for long VOD jobs. A three-hour source is not uploaded as one enormous request when you use segmented DASH/HLS/CMAF output. Resolution, duration, frame rate, bitrate, audio tracks and the number of protected formats all affect the work.

Allow enough time for encoding, use a reliable local disk, keep the computer awake and reserve space for the source, temporary clear renditions and final protected package. A short representative test clip helps estimate encoding time and output bitrate on your hardware. Actual three-hour 4K/8K throughput and playback must be tested with your source and target devices.



## Estimate package size and upload time[#](#estimate-package-size-and-upload-time)

Adjust the inputs to see how duration, total encoded bitrate and upload speed affect a job. Enter the sum of the selected video-rendition bitrates; the calculator adds audio. These are planning estimates, not a quota reservation or a speed guarantee.

Video duration (minutes)Total video bitrate (Mbps)Video renditionsAudio tracks (128 Kbps each)Protected output sets2 · Maximum Compatibility1 · Modern Multi-DRMSegment duration6 seconds4 secondsMeasured upload speed (Mbps)

About 64.3 GBAbout 8.6 hours with 20% transfer allowanceAbout 18,000 segment objects, plus manifests and initialization files

Six-second segments reduce object count compared with four-second segments.

Enable JavaScript to change the estimate. For a static calculation: package GB ≈ minutes × 60 × total Mbps ÷ 8 ÷ 1000 × protected output sets. Upload seconds ≈ package bytes × 8 ÷ measured upload bits per second.

Two outputs usually duplicate encrypted media. Variable-bitrate encoding, container overhead, subtitles, retries and protocol overhead change the result. Local disk requirements are higher than the protected package alone. Lowering the resolution ladder or using six-second segments can reduce work; lowering upload concurrency can improve stability without changing picture quality.



## Choose a source-appropriate ladder[#](#choose-a-source-appropriate-ladder)

| Actual source | CLI ladder example | Desktop selection | 
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1920×1080 | `sd,hd,full-hd` | SD + HD + Full HD | 

| 3840×2160 | `sd,hd,full-hd,uhd` | Add UHD / 2160p | 

| 7680×4320 | `sd,hd,full-hd,uhd,uhd2` | Add UHD2 / 4320p | 

The CLI checks both dimensions, so a portrait or unusually shaped source may not fit a standard landscape rung. Keep only the rungs your viewers need. An 8K source does not require every viewer to receive 8K; adaptive playback can select a lower rendition.

H.265 and AV1 can be useful for high resolutions, but codec decoding, DRM support, security level and output protection depend on the device. First prove a short clip on the intended browser, television or native player. DRM policy can further restrict the available resolution.



## Use segmented output for long jobs[#](#use-segmented-output-for-long-jobs)

Keep the normal segmented output. Avoid `--on_demand` and `--output_single_file` for large customer-owned storage uploads unless you have checked object-size constraints. 1AICLOUD uses multipart transfer for large protected objects, with 64-bit sizes and offsets. Customer-owned presigned uploads currently allow up to 5 GiB per object; segmentation keeps ordinary media objects well below that boundary.

The default server inventory limit is **50,000 objects per package** and the package-size limit is **5 TiB**; deployment configuration and your storage entitlement can impose lower limits. Three hours at six-second segments, with five video tracks, one audio track and two protected output sets, produces approximately **21,600 media segments**, plus manifests and initialization files. Many audio languages or shorter segments can push a job over the object limit.



## What happens if the network fails?[#](#what-happens-if-the-network-fails)

Keep output
Retain every protected fileResume upload
Same session and profileReuse matches
Size + SHA-256 checkVerify and publish
Server confirms output

Preview.6 retries throttling and transient failures with backoff. Temporary 1AICLOUD credentials renew before expiration, and active Packager credentials authorize upload-only recovery after the original session token expires. Failed multipart parts retry within the active run; after restarting the process, an unfinished multipart object starts again, while matching completed 1AICLOUD objects are reused.

If attempts are exhausted, follow [Resume without re-encoding](https://docs.drm-x.com/packaging/cli#resume-without-re-encoding). Start at concurrency 4 on an unreliable connection. Running several upload processes against the same package can cause contention; run one upload for that folder.



## Acceptance checklist[#](#acceptance-checklist)

- Package and play a short sample with the intended codec, frame rate, audio and ladder.
- Confirm enough local disk space and cloud storage entitlement for the full source.
- Run the full package, keeping the computer awake and the output folder unchanged.
- Wait for server-verified Published status, then seek near the start, middle and end on representative devices.
- Check the highest permitted rendition, audio synchronization and subtitles. Retain the original and protected output until acceptance is complete.