Transcoding media streams using subchunking

A transcoding server comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions;
• a plurality of slave transcoders that transcode data from a first set of encoding parameters to a second set of encoding parameters;
• and
• a processing device in communication with the computer readable medium and executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions causing the processing device to perform operations comprising:
• receiving an input media stream encoded according to a first set of encoding parameters;
• splitting a video portion of a received portion of the input media stream into input video chunks;
• for each input video chunk of the video portion of the input media stream;
• assigning the input video chunk to a plurality of slave transcoders that transcode data from the first set of encoding parameters to a second set of encoding parameters;
• splitting the input video chunk into input video subchunks;
• separately feeding each input video subchunk to each slave transcoder of the plurality of transcoders;
• when one of the plurality of slave transcoders completes transcoding each of the input video subchunks into corresponding output video subchunks, commanding the other slave transcoders of the plurality of transcoders to stop transcoding the input video subchunks of the input video chunk;
• and
• assembling the output video subchunks into an output video chunk corresponding to the input video chunk;
• and
• assembling the output video chunks into an output media stream.