Converting streaming MPEG-2 to H264

[myles]

Figured i would come on here and ask to see what you guys think and get any kind of input.

Here's our application. The state of florida runs a 511 website where they want it so users can log on and view traffic cameras from all over the state of florida. Here is the issue. They want to stream the feeds in h264, but all the streams coming from the cameras are multicast through an encoder which converts them to mpeg-2 from coax then at the central location the network runs to they are decoded back to a coax signal.

So basically we are looking for the most cost effective way to convert the mpeg-2 streams to h264. We have been looking at numerous options including switching out the encoders to h264, but there are about 2300 cameras so it would be very expensive. Especially since we would have to replace all the decoders also.

The next option we looked at was "transcoding", specifically a company named "RipCode" which they said can work with 16-20 streams per unit. Each unit costs about $25,000. My assumption is that this company has its own software they created, they buy a server and install their software and charge an arm and a leg.

Does anybody know about any other companies that offer hardware/software like this?

What about a company that provides just the software? It seems like this will be our most cost efficient way to achieve what we are looking at doing, we just want to find the best price and hopefully keep this project under 4 million.

Anybody have any other ideas on what we might be able to do that we haven't though of?

Any help would absolutely be appreciated, thank you for your time in reading this thread.

*We would be willing to work with VLC (monetarily), if there might be some kind of solution VLC can come up with

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

So, basically, you are looking for a solution that would do live encoding of Mpeg-2 inputs (probably udp or rtp) into h264 outputs (http or rtp)?
I guess the resolution isn't too high. Right?

Why don't you just use VLC then? It can take Mpeg-2 IPTV inputs and change them to h264 outputs without difficulties.