Consulting and analysis pricing
Alongside the free technical articles, Northline Media Engineering offers paid analysis engagements. This page describes the tiers and what each one includes, so that a prospective client can judge fit before making contact.
All engagements are advisory and analytical. We examine an existing encoding pipeline, measure where quality or cost is being lost, and deliver a written recommendation with reproducible evidence. We do not sell software, we do not distribute any application, and we do not host files for clients on this site. The work is analysis, delivered as documents and, where useful, as scripts the client runs on their own infrastructure.
Tiers
| Tier | Scope | Deliverable | Turnaround | Indicative fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | one encoding profile reviewed | written findings, 8 to 12 pages | 5 business days | from $1,900 |
| Ladder review | full bitrate ladder reviewed | findings plus recommended rungs | 10 business days | from $4,500 |
| Pipeline audit | end-to-end delivery pipeline | audit report and priority actions | 3 to 4 weeks | from $11,000 |
| Retainer | ongoing advisory access | monthly review and on-call analysis | monthly | from $3,200 / month |
Fees are indicative and depend on the number of profiles, the size of the source library and the depth of measurement requested. Every engagement begins with a short scoping conversation, at no charge, to confirm that the work will answer the question you actually have.
What every engagement includes
- A written statement of the question the engagement will answer and the method used to answer it.
- Measurements taken on the client's own material, not on synthetic content alone.
- A clear separation between measured results and professional judgement.
- Priority actions ranked by expected benefit relative to effort.
- A revision round after the client has read the first draft.
What we do not do
We do not provide software, we do not offer anything for transfer to a client machine, and we do not take responsibility for operating a client's production systems. We also decline work whose purpose is to circumvent technical protection measures or to infringe copyright, because such work is outside both our expertise and our ethics.
Request a proposal
Use the form below to describe your material and the question you want answered. Submitting the form sends nothing from this page: it takes you to a confirmation page, and no data leaves your browser. If you prefer, write directly to [email protected].