There is no single defensible MediaLive price for one HD output and a continuously looping YouTube playlist without specifying the AWS Region, channel class, input and output settings, runtime, and playlist-source workflow. As an illustration—not a quote—AWS’s US East (N. Virginia) example lists $0.234 per hour for a specified HD AVC input and $0.88 per hour for a specified HD AVC output. Together, those example line items are $1.114 per hour before any other applicable charges. The playlist’s looping method and cost are separate questions that these figures do not answer.
What AWS’s published example adds up to
AWS’s Live Streaming on AWS deployment guide gives these illustrative hourly figures for US East (N. Virginia):
| Example item | Published rate | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| HD AVC input | $0.234 per hour | For an input specified at 10–20 Mbps in the guide’s example. |
| HD AVC output | $0.88 per hour | For one 1280×720p or 1920×1080p output under the guide’s stated example assumptions. |
| Input plus output | $1.114 per hour | Arithmetic total of the two example line items only; not an end-to-end estimate for an unspecified channel or playlist workflow. |
These are examples, not a current quote for your configuration. The guide’s example assumes US East (N. Virginia), standard pricing without free-tier benefits or discounts, and specified input, output, and frame-rate characteristics within a larger deployment profile. See the AWS Live Streaming on AWS cost example and the AWS Elemental MediaLive pricing page for applicable pricing information.
Why “one HD output” is not enough to calculate the bill
MediaLive billing depends on configured resources and their characteristics, not just the number of outputs. AWS identifies several variables that can change the amount:
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- Region: Rates vary by AWS Region.
- Channel class: A standard two-pipeline channel uses standard-class input and output rates; a single-pipeline channel uses single-pipeline rates.
- Input: Input type, codec, resolution, and bitrate affect the input charge. AWS charges based on specified input options, so an HD input specification can be billed at HD even when the actual source is SD. Set codec, resolution, and maximum bitrate to match the source and intended configuration.
- Output: Output type, codec, resolution, frame rate, and rate-control settings can affect charges.
- Runtime and resource state: Running, paused, and idle states do not all have the same billing rules.
- Optional features and reservations: Add-ons may have separate charges, and reservations change rates only for matching configurations.
AWS documents that there is no channel charge for a running channel, but that does not mean a running channel is free: its attached inputs and configured outputs can still incur charges. Consult the MediaLive billing documentation for resource-state details and the input specification documentation for how input options are treated.
How to estimate your own MediaLive processing cost
- Choose the Region. Use the Region where the channel will run and check that Region’s rates rather than applying the N. Virginia example automatically.
- Choose the channel class. Determine whether the configuration is single-pipeline or standard; the applicable input and output rates differ.
- Identify the actual input configuration. Record input type, codec, resolution, and maximum bitrate. Use the options you plan to configure, because AWS bills from those specified options.
- Specify the output. Confirm the output type, codec, resolution, frame rate, and rate-control settings. “HD” alone does not settle these details.
- Count configured resources and operating hours. Include each attached input and each configured output, along with expected running and idle time. Include any add-ons that apply.
- Check discounts or reservations separately. Do not assume a reservation applies unless its configuration attributes match your channel and Region.
Use AWS’s pricing information for the chosen Region and exact configuration. The $1.114 hourly example above is useful only as a transparent reference for its specified input-plus-output combination; multiplying it by your planned hours would not account for differences in configuration, idle charges, optional features, or the playlist source.
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What happens when you stop or pause the channel
Stopping or pausing does not guarantee that every associated MediaLive charge disappears. AWS documents that a running channel is billed for each attached input, including one that is not active or not receiving content, and for each configured output. Output billing can continue while an output is paused.
When a channel is not running, idle channel charges can apply to its inputs and outputs. An unattached idle push input or a channel-attached idle push input can also incur an idle charge in specified cases; idle pull inputs do not incur that charge. Check the billing rules for the specific resource type and state before treating a stopped channel as zero-cost.
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Where the looping YouTube playlist fits—and what remains unknown
MediaLive’s documented live-streaming workflow separates upstream content entering a channel from downstream delivery. That makes the playlist source an architectural component to identify, rather than an assumed MediaLive feature. The AWS information cited here does not establish how to play and repeat a YouTube playlist, how that source connects to MediaLive, whether a separate service or software is needed, or what that component costs.
Consequently, the figures above cover only the example MediaLive input and output line items. To produce an end-to-end estimate, first identify the actual playlist playback and source workflow, then verify its current compatibility with YouTube and MediaLive and price any separate components. Do not treat the example hourly sum as the full cost of keeping a playlist live.
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When a MediaLive reservation might help
AWS reservations can lower processing rates for configurations that match the reservation, but they involve a one-year commitment with monthly allocation and billing. Unused minutes expire at the end of each month. Matching can depend on codec, resolution, bitrate range, output frame-rate range, and Region, so compare expected monthly use and the exact channel configuration before counting a reservation as savings. See AWS’s MediaLive reservations guidance and reservation pricing details.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is simply to keep uploaded recordings or a playlist live on YouTube, StreamNeo is a more direct cloud option to consider than assembling a MediaLive workflow and a separately verified playlist source. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so no computer, OBS, or home connection has to stay on.
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