Resource plans let you prepay for ApsaraVideo VOD usage at a discounted rate. Instead of pay-as-you-go billing, you commit to a fixed amount of storage, data transfer, or transcoding minutes for a set period.
Before you begin
ApsaraVideo VOD offers three types of resource plans:
| Resource plan | What it covers | Billable item |
|---|---|---|
| ApsaraVideo VOD storage plan | Video and media file storage | Media asset storage |
| ApsaraVideo VOD data transfer plan | Content delivery acceleration | Acceleration service |
| ApsaraVideo VOD transcoding plan | Video format conversion | Media asset transcoding |
To purchase a resource plan, go to the buy page. For pricing details, see VOD pricing details.
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Understand each plan's scope and deduction rules before purchasing. For details, see Resource plans.
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If you purchase multiple resource plans, they are deducted in a specific order. For details, see Deduction rules for resource plans.
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The ApsaraVideo VOD data transfer plan requires the pay-by-data-transfer billing method. If you use a different billing method, switch before purchasing. For details, see Switch between billing methods.
Purchase a resource plan
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Go to the ApsaraVideo VOD resource plan buy page.
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Select a resource plan type, specifications, and validity period based on your business needs.
Example: select a plan combination
This example shows how to estimate resource needs and select a plan combination.
Scenario
John runs a small video news website for mobile devices. He serves users in the Chinese mainland with 720p HD videos.
Resource consumption:
| Resource | Estimated volume |
|---|---|
| Video storage | ~1,000 existing videos (~1 TB). ~100 new videos per month (~100 GB/month). |
| Access acceleration | Daily peak bandwidth: ~1 Gbps. Downstream data transfer: 0.2 TB/day, 2.4 TB/month, 5 TB/half-year, 11 TB/year. |
| Video transcoding | General transcoding, H.264, LD (640 x 480). Existing videos: 1,000 x 30 min = 30,000 min. New videos: 100 x 30 min = 3,000 min/month. |
The required plan specifications vary based on the encoding format and resolution of the output videos. Calculate the required plan specifications based on the deduction ratio of the transcoding plan. For example, to transcode 30,000 minutes of existing videos into H.264, SD (1280 x 720) format with general transcoding, purchase a plan of 30,000 x 1.5 = 45,000 minutes. For deduction ratios, see ApsaraVideo VOD transcoding plans.
Map resources to plan types
| Resource | Billable item | Resource plan type |
|---|---|---|
| Video storage | Media asset storage | ApsaraVideo VOD storage plan |
| Access acceleration | Acceleration service | ApsaraVideo VOD data transfer plan (requires pay-by-data-transfer billing method) |
| Video transcoding | Media asset transcoding | ApsaraVideo VOD transcoding plan |
Compare plan specifications
Each plan type offers multiple specification combinations. The following tables compare common options.
ApsaraVideo VOD storage plan
| Specifications | Validity period | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| One 1 TB plan + One 100 GB plan | 1 year | Requires monthly purchases -- too frequent |
| One 1 TB plan + One 500 GB plan | 1 year | Purchase every five months |
| 2 x 1 TB | 1 year | Purchase once a year, but remaining space may be wasted |
ApsaraVideo VOD data transfer plan
| Specifications | Validity period | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| 3 x 1 TB | 1 year | Requires monthly purchases -- too frequent |
| 1 x 5 TB | 1 year | Purchase every six months with a larger discount |
| One 10 TB plan + One 1 TB plan | 1 year | Annual purchase with the greatest discount |
ApsaraVideo VOD transcoding plan
| Specifications | Validity period | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| One 20,000-minute plan + Three 5,000-minute plans | 1 year | Requires monthly purchases -- too frequent, with potential waste |
| Two 20,000-minute plans + Two 5,000-minute plans | 1 year | Purchase every six months with a larger discount |
| One 100,000-minute plan | 1 year | Annual purchase with the greatest discount |
Pick a plan combination
For John's scenario, the following combination balances cost savings against waste:
| Resource plan | Specifications | Validity period |
|---|---|---|
| ApsaraVideo VOD storage plan | One 1 TB plan + One 500 GB plan | 1 year |
| ApsaraVideo VOD data transfer plan | One 10 TB plan + One 1 TB plan | 1 year |
| ApsaraVideo VOD transcoding plan | One 100,000-minute plan | 1 year |