ZEE5 Delivers Next-Gen Streaming with a Fully Optimized In-House Transcoder

As vertical video continues its meteoric rise across platforms, ZEE5 has unveiled a critical piece of infrastructure that could change how short-form content is processed and delivered in India. The homegrown streaming service has developed and deployed an in-house transcoder, aimed at improving performance, reducing costs, and scaling efficiently to meet the growing appetite for mobile-first formats.
Unlike traditional widescreen video, vertical content (in the 9:16 aspect ratio) presents a unique set of processing challenges—particularly when it needs to be streamed at high volume and with minimal delay. ZEE5’s new transcoder, built natively for the Google Cloud Platform, addresses these challenges directly. According to the platform, video start times have been slashed by 20%, while file sizes have dropped by up to 15%, reducing strain on storage and delivery networks without a noticeable dip in quality.
The move away from a third-party managed transcoding service isn’t just about performance. It’s also a significant financial pivot. The new system has reportedly cut transcoding costs by an eye-catching 92%. For a platform that processes thousands of videos regularly, this isn’t a marginal gain—it’s a reallocation of major operational expense.
From a technical standpoint, the architecture behind the new tool is message-driven, meaning it can handle large amounts of incoming content with minimal publishing lag. Since its deployment, the system has run without a single reported playback error—a notable claim in a space where even minor glitches can quickly escalate into user churn.
“We’ve taken a giant leap in delivering high-quality vertical content at scale,” said Suneel Khare, Senior Vice President at ZEE Entertainment Enterprises. “Faster load times, reduced buffering, and seamless playback—all of these directly enhance the viewer experience, while the savings allow us to invest more in content creation.”
The transcoder also gives ZEE5 something more strategic: autonomy. “Building a cloud-native solution in-house empowers us with full control,” said Rahul Banerjee, Principal Architect at ZEE5. “It lets us fine-tune performance, introduce custom features, and future-proof our infrastructure as streaming formats and consumption habits evolve.”
While much of the public conversation around streaming platforms focuses on what’s on screen, this development underscores the importance of what happens behind it. As short-form video increasingly defines user engagement—especially among mobile-first audiences in India—streaming services are under pressure to match speed and scale with cost-effective delivery.