Uploading and encoding are two different (but equally important) steps on the road to getting your video ready to view online.
UPLOADING AND ENCODING: WHAT IS IT?
We all know what a download is. It is, of course, when you use your computer to request and receive data (be it pictures, video, music, etc.) from an online server. Uploading, simply, is the opposite of downloading. It is when you are sending data from your device (computer, phone, iPad, camera, etc.) to an online server. It is basically moving data from point A to point B, and it is what happens whenever you post video on VidSwap.com.
Encoding is what happens next.
Encoding is the process whereby our servers read all the raw data (the video you just uploaded) and process and convert it ("encode it") into a user-friendly format that you can access in your VidSwap video editor. It's when the computer turns all the raw data from your upload into something wonderful.
HOW LONG DOES ENCODING TAKE?
Encoding takes about as long as it would be to watch the entire video straight through, in real time. For example, a 2.5 hour long video would encode in about 2.5 hours. Sometimes this process can go faster (as quickly as half the length of the entire video uploaded, in real time), but it's always good to allow the full length of the video uploaded.
WHAT THEN?
After the uploading and encoding processes finish, we can then take your video and break it down for you. Very shortly after that, you'll receive e-mail confirmation that your video is logged and ready for you to access!