Your frequently asked questions on MK.IO
🚀 Getting started
What are the first steps I need to take to get started with MK.IO?
Firstly, ensure you have an active Microsoft Azure account. Then, follow our easy-to-use guide for setting up and starting with MK.IO. Our support team is ready to help if you have any issues.
Will MK.IO be available in Azure Marketplace?
Yes, MK.IO is live in the Azure Marketplace. Search for it or follow the sign-up links.
Is there a free trial account available for MK.IO?
Currently, we do not offer a trial account for MK.IO. However, our subscription model is metered-based, allowing you to only pay for what you use.
Ok, so what can I get access to today and what will it cost?
- Signing up for an account and creating a subscription is FREE.
- Connecting a storage account, migrating assets from AMS to MK.IO is also FREE.
- Creating a streaming endpoint and leaving it in a stopped state is FREE.
- Using and integrating the MKPlayer is FREE.
- Creating streaming locators is FREE.
Starting your streaming endpoint is what we charge for today. You can run a standard streaming endpoint for ~$2 per day. We bill by the hour, so you can start testing, and shut it down. Having it running for an hour is less than 10 cents.
What other video services does MediaKind offer?
MediaKind provides a range of services and products, including live broadcasting and streaming for clients like NBA and DirecTV, UHD upscaling using AI and machine learning, Cloud DVR, and personalized advertising solutions.
We're continuously innovating and have exciting features in the pipeline that we're looking forward to integrating into MK.IO.
Do I need to be an AMS (Azure Media Services) user today to sign-up to MK.IO?
No, as long as you have an Azure account you are free to sign up through the Azure Marketplace. Documentation will be available through our website to help you get started.
Do you have a demo on how to use MK.IO?
Current customers of AMS will find the same familiar terminology and flows for migrating to MK.IO documented in our migration guide. Recorded demos of the various use cases is something we will be publishing soon.
I just activated a subscription from Azure marketplace but I don't see an active subscription in the dashboard. How long does it take for a subscription to become active?
Usually you will see an active subscription in your dashboard within a few minutes, however it could potentially take up to 24 hours. If you have an urgent requirement please reach out on our community forum for support.
Does MK.IO provide an SLA similar to AMS?
Yes, you can learn about our platform's availability or review the specifics of our service-level agreement at these two locations.
🧾 Accounts and Billing
Will accounts have quota limits from the launch?
Yes, upon the launch of MK.IO, all accounts will have initial quota limits. However, these can be adjusted to your specific needs. Please connect with us through the community forum to discuss quota adjustments.
What is the billing process for MK.IO?
Billing for MK.IO occurs on a monthly basis, with charges based on the actual usage as metered and reported from the platform. Please note that our pricing specifically covers compute resources. Charges for networking and storage, as well as costs associated with egress out of your storage account, are not included in this pricing and will be billed separately through your usual channels.
How is the pricing structured for MK.IO?
MK.IO follows the same pricing structure and rates as Azure Media Services (AMS). For more details, please visit our pricing page. If you have any further queries, feel free to reach out to our sales team at [email protected].
Before I subscribe, it asks me for my Resource Group, which I suspect is the same resource group that I now use for Azure media services VOD streaming.
Your video streaming will originate from your existing Azure storage. You will continue to pay Azure for the storage as normal and then pay separately for the MK.IO streaming services.
When I subscribe to try your service, this will not affect my ability to stream the old fashioned way using Azure locators.
Any test or trial of MK.IO will be independent of your existing Azure Media Services streaming process.
Will my current video Locators change when I migrate to your service?
Yes, you will need to create new video locators in our service but you will be able to mirror the configuration you have in AMS today.
As long as I am not negatively impacting my current Azure media services streaming (at least in the short run), I am happy to subscribe and try. I need this assurance for a smooth and slow transition.
Yes, the two systems are independent. You will not impact your current AMS streaming service.
🗓 Migration
What resources are available to help me transition from my current service to MK.IO?
You’ll find a comprehensive migration guide via our website which will talk you through migrating your workflows to MK.IO. We have also created a community forum for you to ask questions and get help from one of our experts.
What kind of support can I expect during my transition to and use of MK.IO?
Our experts will be on hand to support you via chat or our community forum. We’re committed to helping you migrate as easily as possible. Don’t hesitate to ask us a question.
If I have an existing Azure Support Agreement, does that grant me additional assistance?
Yes, if you have an ongoing Azure Support Agreement, MediaKind will provide free support for its remaining duration. Once it ends, you have the option to purchase an enhanced support contract directly from MediaKind.
Can MediaKind provide enhanced support for my business-critical services?
Absolutely, we are preparing to introduce additional enhanced support options which will be detailed on our website soon. Once available, MK.IO customers will be able to directly purchase this enhanced support from MediaKind.
We wish to keep our current assets on our Azure storage account and we want to continue storing new assets there. Is this possible?
Yes, your assets and any newly created assets using MK.IO will exist in your Azure storage account. Check out this article to see how you can connect your Azure storage account to your MK.IO subscription.
How secure is it to allow MediaKind access to our Azure storage account?
Very secure. The current approach requires sharing a SAS token with the MK/IO service. Our method of protecting and managing these credentials has undergone extensive security audits with some the most stringent Tier-1 telcos on the planet. In the future, we plan on migrating to an IDM-based solution.
We have a very large existing asset library for which we will need to update the streaming URLs. Will there be an automated way for us to manage this?
We will shortly be providing an example Postman or bulk conversion script to help with this. MK.IO is a developer-first platform and the application portal is simply an example of what can be done with the APIs (UI is built on the APIs) which follows same format you are familiar with AMS having. Please check in on the community forum to get support with designing automation scripts or any other tools.
🎛️ Workflows
How can MK.IO’s key features enhance my video content delivery?
MK.IO boosts your video content delivery with superior picture quality and a user-friendly dashboard designed for streamlined service management. We're also developing advanced features to optimize video delivery, reduce network costs, enable targeted advertising and personalization, and to integrate with Microsoft's AI tools. Stay tuned for these exciting enhancements!
What key features of MK.IO facilitate my migration?
MK.IO simplifies your migration with a design that requires no asset movement out of your current storage account. Simply connect your Azure storage account and add assets either through our UI or by running a migration script. With API parity with Azure Media Services and the same naming conventions and workflow scripting, MK.IO ensures a seamless transition.
We have a .NET Core batch job which uses AMS SDK to perform asset encoding & Dash URL generation. Does MediaKind expose a similar kind of SDK or API?
The REST APIs are available and there are currently no plans to publish a .NET SDK for MK.IO. Most customers are using C# to interface with our REST APIs. Contact us through our community forum if you would like recommendations on integration partners to consult with to support a migration from the .NET framework.
Will you have support for token-based DASH URLs (clear key and validation with auth token)?
We are planning on replicating this functionality in the near future and are currently tracking towards a late-August implementation. Please check our feature release roadmap for updates on timescale.
Does MediaKind services support embedding images in the asset while encoding ?
This capability is supported today and in production with other MK products and will be exposed as part of the MK/IO roadmap evolution. Please update us via the community forum on your expected timescale for needing this capability.
Do you provide a player for streaming? We are looking for an Azure media player alternative since that is also set to expire.
Yes. MK/IO provides a player SDK. Further documentation can he found here.