Why there’s no stopping our infatuation with video

We love consuming tons and tons of video, but do we really understand the technology that makes it all go?  Or, do we really care?

One of the most widely used and albeit unknown technologies when it comes to video is the H.264 video codec.   H.264 is a video compression standard most commonly referred to as MPEG-4, and is widely used as the compression engine for Blu-ray DVDs, and streaming video sources like YouTube, Vimeo, Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, and more.

Scheduled to arrive in the next couple years:  H.265, or the more user friendly acronym:  HVEC.  Multichannel News summarized the new HVEC standard well:

  • What It Is: High Efficiency Video Coding, a.k.a. H.265
  • Bandwidth Gains: Between 25% and 50% less bandwidth needed compared with MPEG-4 H.264 Advanced Video Coding standard
  • Key Applications: Mobile video and Ultra HD (4K and 8K resolutions)
  • Timeline: Initial review draft for comments targeted for February 2012, with fi rst edition of standard expected to be finished in January 2013; commercial products may appear as soon as 2013

So should we care?

I say yes…because it’s obvious we are stretching the limits of H.264 in terms of how much video is being consumed via the web. The growth of devices like smartphones and tablets shows no sign of slowing.  Widespread adoption of applications like Apple’s FaceTime, Skype (now part of Microsoft),  IP video conferencing, and even video surveillance as a service (VSaas) pose even more stress on global networks to deliver a positive experience for users.  We need better compression, more bandwidth, and thus a higher quality experience.

That is what H.265 or HVEC hopes to deliver, and what it potentially means for us…

  • Significantly reduced bandwidth costs – with 2x the compression, bandwidth savings could approach 50% enabling networks to provide an improved mobile video experience, while also speeding up adoption of technologies like VSaas (video surveillance as a service).
  • Significantly better video quality – assuming you maintain your existing bandwidth usage, you can increase the resolution and quality of the video, making video conferencing and streaming more compelling a solution.
  • Even higher resolution than 1080p in the home – with Ultra HDTV (7680×4320) / 4K video capabilities, many believe Digital Cinema in the home will become widely available by 2020.

Of course, with any new technology, there comes a cost. The HVEC standard is no different in that it is much more complex, and will require faster more powerful processor technology. But, at the same time, technological advancements have a way of lowering costs overtime to allow for widespread adoption.  Only time will tell when the costs of implementing HVEC don’t outweigh the benefits we highlighted above.

The bottom line: better, faster, and in some cases, less expensive consumption of video. If HVEC becomes the new standard, it surely means “All systems go” for the future of mobile and ultra high definition… and that’s a good thing.

When  it comes to video today, what’s holding you back?

Related Posts:

Verizon: it’s all about video anytime, anywhere
HD Surveillance goes mainstream by 2014
Sizing up video surveillance storage
HDCCTV spec gives life to legacy surveillance
UltraViolet’s digital lockers in the sky

2011-10-12T14:06:23+00:00

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2 Comments

  1. Sat Khalsa October 17, 2011 at 10:40 am - Reply

    Does this new format require more GPU and CPU involvement in the decoding of the video?

    • Mark Wojtasiak October 17, 2011 at 10:45 am - Reply

      @Sat Good question. Yes – with any new compression codec, the GPU and/or CPU will be tasked with handling the scripts needed to render and consume the video. When I say, “The HVEC standard is no different in that it is much more complex, and will require faster more powerful processor technology” alludes to this. Typically such complexity is built into the GPU, but as more video demands are placed on the CPU, it too will have to evolve to handle the new techniques. I hope this helps. Thanks – Mark

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