> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gcore.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Premium encoding for enterprise accounts > Premium encoding adds 2K, 4K, 8K, HEVC, AV1, VP9, 60 FPS, and custom ABR ladders to live streams and VOD for enterprise accounts. Premium encoding extends Gcore Video Streaming transcoding with resolutions above 1080p, more codecs, higher frame rates, and custom bitrate ladders, for both live streams and VOD. It is available for enterprise accounts, while [free transcoding](https://docs.gcore.com/streaming/live-streams-and-videos-protocols-and-codecs/transcoding-output.md) covers H.264 up to Full HD 1080p for every account. ## Free and premium comparison Premium encoding changes the output limits listed in the table, and both options apply to live streams and VOD. | Item | Free transcoding | Premium encoding | | - | - | - | | Availability | All accounts | Enterprise accounts, on request | | Maximum resolution | 1080p | 2K, 4K, 8K | | Renditions | 1080p, 720p, 468p, 360p | Any custom ladder from 144p to 8K | | Video codecs | H.264 | H.264, HEVC, AV1, VP9 | | Maximum frame rate | 30 FPS | 60+ FPS or original FPS | | Audio | AAC, 44.1 kHz, stereo | Higher audio quality, 48 kHz, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos | | Cost | €0 | Listed on the [pricing page](https://gcore.com/pricing/streaming-platform) | ## Premium renditions The table lists every quality available with premium encoding, including the ones that free transcoding already produces, and the custom plan can change the values. These are the default settings. | Video quality | Resolution | FPS | Video bitrate, kbps | Audio bitrate, kbps | | - | - | - | - | - | | UHD 8K | 7680 × 4320 | Custom | Custom | Custom | | UHD 4K | 3840 × 2160 | 30 | 14,000 | 196 | | QHD 2K | 2560 × 1440 | 30 | 7,200 | 196 | | Full HD 1080p | 1920 × 1080 | 30 | 4,050 | 128 | | HD 720p | 1280 × 720 | 30 | 1,800 | 128 | | SD 468p | 832 × 468 | 30 | 800 | 96 | | 360p | 640 × 360 | 30 | 450 | 64 | | 240p | 427 × 240 | 30 | 200 | 64 | | 144p | 254 × 144 | 30 | 72 | 64 | | Audio only | - | - | - | 128 | As with free transcoding, Gcore does not upscale videos. The output renditions range from the lowest quality up to the resolution of the source, so a 4K source produces renditions up to 4K. ## Premium codecs HEVC, AV1, and VP9 usually need less bitrate than H.264 for the same visual quality, so they lower CDN traffic for large VOD libraries and bandwidth-sensitive workflows. Each codec is delivered through specific manifests. | Codec | HLS MPEG-TS | HLS CMAF | MPEG-DASH | | - | - | - | - | | H.264 | Yes | Yes | Yes | | HEVC | No | Yes | Yes | | AV1 | No | Yes | Yes | | VP9 | No | No | Yes | HLS MPEG-TS carries H.264 only, so HEVC and AV1 in HLS need HLS CMAF. VP9 is included only in the MPEG-DASH manifest, which can use WebM chunks for it, and the width and height of each VP9 rendition must be divisible by 2. Live streams with advanced codecs require a separately validated configuration, while the activation steps and codec-specific manifests for VOD are described in [multi-codec VOD](https://docs.gcore.com/streaming/video-hosting/multi-codec.md). ## Custom output settings Custom settings cover requirements that fall outside the default presets. Each group below is configured per account on request. * **Bitrate and ladders**: higher or lower bitrate targets, different ABR ladders for specific devices or regions, changed quality presets for all or selected renditions, and removal of unneeded renditions to lower CDN costs * **Frame rate**: 60+ FPS or original FPS passthrough * **Audio**: higher audio quality, 48 kHz sample rate, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Atmos * **Delivery**: transmuxing of VOD MP4 files to HLS on the fly, and pass-through instead of transcoding for live streams Each video can have its own configuration, so default and custom presets work together for per-stream or per-library tuning. Available quality sets are listed in the [quality sets API](https://docs.gcore.com/api-reference/streaming/qualitysets/get-all-quality-sets.md). ## Request premium encoding Gcore enables premium encoding on request. Contact [support](mailto:support@gcore.com) or the account's sales manager with the resolutions, codecs, and frame rates required, and whether they apply to live streams, VOD, or both. ## Multi-codec VOD example The embedded player plays a video with AV1, VP9, HEVC, and H.264 renditions. [Multi-codec VOD demo player](https://player.gvideo.co/videos/2675_5aT2bPTFEN2BSQFm) The video has AAC audio and English subtitles, and Chrome and Firefox play the VP9 rendition from the MPEG-DASH manifest. Video qualities include 360p, 468p, 720p, 1080p, and 4K variants. Playback URLs: * [HTML player](https://player.gvideo.co/videos/2675_5aT2bPTFEN2BSQFm) * [HLS manifest](https://demo-public.gvideo.io/videos/2675_5aT2bPTFEN2BSQFm/master.m3u8) * [MPEG-DASH manifest](https://demo-public.gvideo.io/videos/2675_5aT2bPTFEN2BSQFm/master.mpd)