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What does it mean to ingest video? Talking about Video Ingest

Written by Jody Sappington | Jan 11, 2023 4:00:00 PM

Introduction 

Ingesting video is the process of sending it to a data center or server where it can be stored and accessed later. Ingestion is the first step in any video production workflow and involves getting your videos into your editing software or cloud storage system. Want to learn more? Go to WHAT IS VIDEO INGEST? TOP OPTIONS FOR YOU.

What is ingest? 

The word “ingest” can be used to describe the process of receiving and processing video. Ingesting means you are literally taking data in, which is why it's also referred to as ingesting or ingesting video (since you're taking in the actual video). If a camera is already connected to your computer when you start editing, this will happen automatically. You don't have to do anything—the footage just gets sent from one device onto another. If you have a system like an EyeTV tuner attached to your Mac and want to transfer some clips from it into Final Cut Pro X, first open iMovie, then click File > Import > Files... from iMovie's menu bar. Then navigate through Finder until you reach the folder where those files are stored on your hard drive (or wherever else they may be stored), highlight them all by holding down Command+A (Control+A on Windows), double-click one of them (or Shift+click multiple ones) before clicking Open for iMovie. 

Ingestion software can be used to encode the file. 

Ingestion (or ingest software) is the process of getting your video files into a format that can be used by other programs. The most common types of ingestion are encoding, transcoding, and ingesting through a master clip. Encoding refers to the process of converting video content into encoded video file formats (e.g., ProRes or H264). Transcoding refers to taking one type of encoded video file and transforming it into another (for example, from Apple ProRes 4444 to Apple ProRes 422). Ingesting through a master clip means ingesting footage directly from your camera or storage device into your editing system as a single clip. 

There’s no right way or wrong way when it comes to choosing what kind of encoding software you should use; however, some people prefer using dedicated encoders like Compressor, while others prefer using more robust applications such as Adobe Media Encoder CC 2018, which also has some basic editing capabilities built within its interface (though not quite as extensive). Those who don’t want all the bells and whistles included in larger suites like this one though might instead opt for something like DaVinci Resolve Lite, which contains just enough features for basic editing needs without requiring too much learning curve investment upfront before you can get started working with footage yourself since there aren't many hidden features lurking around underneath. 

Video can also be ingested directly into a storage system with no encoding step. 

In other words, video can also be ingested directly into a storage system with no encoding step. For example, you might use a computer to ingest the video stream into your server or SAN, an encoder to encode it for use in another application; or a VTR (standalone recorder) to record it for later use. 

Ingesting video involves sending it to a data center storage system. 

You ingest video by sending it to a data center storage system. You can store your videos in a variety of formats on a variety of storage media: 

  • Files: If you have videos stored as files on your computer or hard drive, it's possible to connect this device directly to the data center and copy the files for ingestion. 
  • Images: It's also possible to use an imaging tool such as Google Cloud Storage Transfer Service or Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration to transfer these files from one cloud service provider (CSP) account into another CSP account with higher capacity for storing large amounts of image-based content like photographs or images taken with smartphones. This process is known as "moving" because it involves physically moving files from one location to another without changing their underlying structure—in other words, copying them through an API call instead of downloading them onto another device manually via a USB cable connection between two computers running different operating systems such as Windows 10 versus OS X El Capitan. 
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Conclusion 

The word "ingest" is used in many different types of industries, including healthcare and business. Ingesting video can be a complicated process or an easy one, depending on your needs. If you're looking for a way to ingest your own videos into a data center storage system, many online resources are available today!