Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Xtranscoder — licensing, installation, supported inputs, performance, costs, and advanced usage.
Xtranscoder is a self-hosted live streaming engine that converts RTSP, RTMP and HTTP streams into reliable HLS output. You run it on your own server — no SaaS lock-in, no per-viewer fees.
No. Xtranscoder is software only. You supply your own input streams (RTSP cameras, encoders, feeds). We do not host, relay, or provide content.
Xtranscoder is officially supported on:
• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
These versions provide the most stable FFmpeg and kernel support.
Installation takes only a few minutes using a single command. No Docker, no manual dependency setup.
bash <(curl -fsSL http://www.install.xtranscoder.com/xtranscoder.sh)
No. Xtranscoder is optimized for CPU-based transcoding. This dramatically reduces hosting costs since CPU servers are far cheaper than GPU instances.
The demo version allows up to 2 concurrent streams. A valid license unlocks unlimited streams on the licensed server for 1 full year.
Licenses are issued automatically once payment confirms — usually within 1 to 5 minutes. Simply paste the license into the Settings page to unlock.
Crypto allows instant global payments, no chargebacks, and faster automated license delivery. This keeps pricing fair and operational costs low.
On-Demand mode starts transcoding only when a viewer requests the stream and stops after inactivity. This saves CPU and hosting costs when streams aren’t watched 24/7.
Yes. Xtranscoder is designed for long-running, production environments, with watchdogs, auto-restart, failover inputs, logging, and monitoring.