IP Workflows - The Last Great Paradigm Shift September 30^th 2015 - 11:00 AM

Let’s face it, there are only a small handful of points in time where our entire industry shifts and pivots in fundamental ways that change it forever. I believe we are at the precipice of one of those rare industry-defining moments. An example of a similar moment in the p…

Requiem for Encoding Hardware Premature September 29^th 2015 - 12:03 PM

Software was the big winner across the board at the recent IBC 2015 in Amsterdam. This was especially true for video encoding, highlighted by the two major acquisitions of Elemental Technologies by Amazon Web Services and Envivio by Ericsson within the space of a week.

Demystifying Video-over-IP September 28^th 2015 - 12:50 PM

Anyone who wandered through IBC hall 7 this year might be led to believe that everyone is peddling the same wares. As vendors we all have a sign somewhere on our stand saying we specialize in IP solutions for broadcasters. While Video-over-IP is a big buzzword in our industry, it’s i…

Momentum Grows Behind UHD Forum September 22^nd 2015 - 08:00 AM

The UHD Forum spelt out its roadmap at the recent IBC 2015 broadcasting convention in Amsterdam and indicated how it will work with its sister body the UHD Alliance to shape the future of immersive television. There was an indication that the two groups would eventually converge into one after pursuing…

A Fresh Direction for Future Video Formats September 8^th 2015 - 03:37 PM

Intel announced its membership in the Alliance for Open Media. And with that, we reinforce our commitment to open formats and announce our efforts for delivering the next generation of video coding tools. With founding partners Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Netflix, the Alliance for Open Media is…

Open Media Alliance Throws Down the Gauntlet to HEVC September 4^th 2015 - 09:30 AM

Seven Internet giants have joined forces to build an open source codec to challenge HEVC for compressing high definition video content and especially Ultra HD (UHD) or 4K. The new Open Media Alliance Source project has the stated intention of developing “next-generation media formats, codecs and technologies” but the subtext is …

Hybrid Distribution, Multiple Application August 27^th 2015 - 01:50 PM

Spectrum scarcity is giving TV channels and broadcast operators a real challenge to introduce 4K services for terrestrial television. Combining scalable coding with HEVC and hybrid broadcast/broadband distribution is an answer. In this solution, HDTV transmissions on DTT remains unchanged and an enhancement layer is sent over the internet…

New HEVC Patents Group Publishes Royalty Prices August 14^th 2015 - 12:40 PM

A recent pricing announcement by HEVC Advance, one of two groups pooling patents for HEVC compression technology among rights holders, has done little to clarify the situation for device makers. The launch in April 2015 of HEVC Advance surprised many in the industry who are not close followers of the compression…

4K Status: Production Yes—Delivery No August 11^th 2015 - 12:05 PM

For all of last year’s talk about distributing 4K television to home viewers, there has been little real progress on making it a reality. The only place 4K technology is being used regularly is in some sports production and in the making of premium television programming.

Report: Distribution Encoder Market to Decline 21% by 2020 July 31^st 2015 - 01:45 PM

Revenues of broadcast (linear) encoders are expected to decline by 21% in the distribution market and by 10% in the contribution market over the next 5 years, a new report from Futuresource Consulting has found.