'Game-Changing' 3 Mbps HD Video from Broadcast International Available on '90% of PCs, 300 Million Mobile Devices' Topic of Industry Analyst Newsletters
Thursday January 17, 6:15 am ET
Video Encoders Built on BI's CodecSys Video Compression Software and Multi-Core Processors Will "Change the Video World" According to Industry Analyst Peter White
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to broadband industry analyst Peter White in recent issues of his newsletter, Faultline, new video encoders based on Broadcast International’s (OTCBB: BCST - News) (“BI”) CodecSys video compression software promise to “change the video world” by making it possible to deliver HDTV at 3 Mbps or less. This represents a reduction in bandwidth of more than 80%, compared to the MPEG2 standard of 19.4 Mbps currently used to deliver most HD video, according to Broadcast International.
In his latest newsletter, issued January 9, White points out that BI’s new agreement with On2 Technologies (AMEX:ONT - News) (whose technology is licensed by Adobe for its Adobe® Flash® Player) will make video compressed by CodecSys software available for viewing by “90% of the PC’s on the planet and something approaching 300 million mobile devices.”
An earlier issue of Faultline features an interview with Rod Tiede, CEO of Broadcast International, who explains the patented CodecSys software approach of switching between multiple expert codecs rather than relying on single, general-purpose codecs. Since the switching process is implemented in software, the encoder is upgradeable to accommodate new compression standards and codecs as they come onto the market.
“We use more than one codec…but we use them in a single encoder. Each is good at something in particular, like dark or bright scenes, or slow-motion or fast motion scenes. The system takes a look at the outputs and selects the one that uses least bandwidth and then recombines the outputs. It then checks the final scenes to see how a human eye would perceive it and makes sure the video is of high enough quality,” said Tiede.
According to Tiede, the CodecSys software, with its multi-codec approach, running on a powerful multi-core processor is ideally suited to solving the problem of delivering HD quality video at low bandwidths. According to the Faultline report, the encoder helps tackle the looming bandwidth problem, particularly among IPTV suppliers. “There is quite simply too much data to get across the network in order to provide sufficient HDTV against the cable operators,” said White.
In the future, claims Tiede in the report, “We will be able to take this all the way down to 1.5 Mbps.” According to White, “If it can be genuinely delivered, it changes all the cost calculations for IPTV, satellite, cable, mobile TV and TV over the web – overnight.”
White continues, “If Broadcast International is true to its word and drives HD down to 1.5 Mbps, then it will mean almost being able to send real time video files across the public internet. Add a little buffer at the far end (DVR or PC hard disk) and even live TV will be possible to send across the internet.”
Broadcast International has patented the unique CodecSys approach of using multiple expert codecs rather than single, general-purpose codecs. By automatically switching between specialized codecs, choosing the best one for a particular frame or video sequence, CodecSys is able to reduce video bandwidth requirements more than 80% for HD video over all types of delivery platforms including broadcast, cable, IPTV, wireless and the Internet. Multi-core processing accelerates the CodecSys codec-switching process, providing a platform for nearly unlimited processing power and video compression capabilities.
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