Broadcast Standards 2026 – Video Coding
Video coding was developed to deliver video conferencing services over low-bandwidth modem connections, but modern demands for ever-larger video formats are pushing codec technology to its limits.
The first digital video coding technology standard was developed in the 1980s by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the introduction of H.120. As network speeds improved, video codecs developed to keep pace - and did so at a phenomenal rate. The last four decades has seen these codecs develop from legacy MPEG formats to AI-driven compression formats that are enabling content providers to keep one step ahead of consumers’ changing demands.
As part of our comprehensive 2026 update of the popular Broadcast Standards reference work, this collection of articles tracks the changes of video delivery technology as it navigates the future of video delivery. With 16K on the horizon and 32K camera development underway for specialist applications, it traces the challenges around delivery and addresses how delivery codecs are still adapting to sustain an increasingly congested delivery landscape.
About Broadcast Standards 2026 – Video Coding
This Themed Content Collection is a free PDF download which contains three original reference articles as well as a comprehensive set of Appendices:
Article 1 - Standards For Video Coding
This guide surveys the landscape of video coding standards – from legacy MPEG formats to AI-driven neural network compression – to help navigate the choices shaping the future of video delivery.
Article 2 - Advanced Video Coding (AVC)
AVC remains one of the most widely deployed video codecs in the world, but navigating its profiles, levels and signaling mechanisms is far from straightforward.
Article 3 - High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)
Designed to halve the bitrate of AVC while supporting resolutions up to 16K, HEVC represents a significant leap in video coding efficiency.
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