It's Officially a 64bit World Or Is It? 32 vs. 64 bit TranscodingPublished: October 21st 2019
At Cinnafilm, we've had 32bit and 64bit versions of our technology for many years, and I figured the question of 32 vs. 64 bit Transcoding was a moot point. Everyone would just choose the 64bit SDK (Software Development Kit), right? Our Dark Energy Professional switched to 64bit years ago, and our SpaceTime library (which contains Tachyon) has been available as 64bit for years but some companies still used our 32bit SDK for reasons unknown to me.
Please note: RadiantGrid by Cinnafilm has been retired, and we suggest that you now point your attention to Cinnafilm PixelStrings.
RadiantGrid and 32 vs. 64 bit Transcoding Then we purchased RadiantGrid, and I COMPLETELY understood why 32bit was still alive and well in 2017. We weren't in the transcoding business before acquiring RadiantGrid; I didn't know about the legacy support of codecs and containers that were only created in the world of 32bit some in the 16bit world, and they would never be re-compiled to run as 64bit. I did rudimentary research on how many tech-savvy people run a 32bit OS. I found 4.3% of Windows 10 users installed a 32bit version and only 0.002% of Mac users. Digging further, I uncovered Mac users don't have a choice when updating their OS; it automatically installs a 64bit OS. In 2009, Apple shipped 64bit operating systems that could also run 32bit programs, making a seamless transition to 64bit. So if someone is running an Apple OS that is only 32bit capable, it's because they have not updated their OS in 9 years. Had they updated, the 0.002% figure would be even lower.
So why does Microsoft still ship 32bit operating systems, especially since every 32bit application is fully backward-compatible with 64bit versions of Windows OS? I have no idea. But it has perpetuated the continuation of companies creating 32 and 64bit versions of their technology, and that leads us to the question of 32 vs. 64 bit Transcoding.
And that leads me back to when I said, I COMPLETELY understood. We have launched a new version of the RadiantGrid transcoding engine. One critical issue our product/engineering team tackled was how we were going to handle legacy codecs and containers that are simply not available in a 64bit architecture. We had two options: write a 32/64bit bridge so this new engine could support ANYTHING ingested and only output video that is generated by a 64bit SDK, or say no mas when it comes to codecs/containers that use a 32bit SDK.
For the time being, we opted for no mas. (for those that don't speak even a smidgen of Spanish, that means no more. ) We decided to be future-minded and only support technologies that are based on a 64bit SDK and can support UHD/HDR video on output. With that said, our customers are always our number one focus. We will still consider discussions regarding building the 32/64bit bridge to support legacy codecs such as Canopus AVI or Indeo. We love solving challenges that best serve our clients.
For now, we are focusing on the first RadiantGrid build that was fully architected by Cinnafilm. We've taken the time to redo a few things, which make it more powerful and flexible than any previous version of RadiantGrid. Some of the cool things you'll see are:
Vastly expanded audio channel remapping
Removal of the need to fully ingest assets before transcoding
Options for automatically converting 100 nit SDR assets to 2,000 nit HDR assets
Creation of incredibly complex image processing pipelines that render assets in a single pass for any resolution. In 32bit space, the pipeline is limited to 4 Gig, so we can't back the truck up and load it up with image processing functions when images get larger than HD
Movement of many functions into the UI that were only XML-submission based
One other opportunity we had when redesigning the engine was to unify the user interface between RadiantGrid and PixelStrings, our media conversion platform. We want our customers to be able to move between on-premises and cloud with ease, and by 2020 NAB, the new interface will be ready, and it will be a significant upgrade.
So is 32bit dead? No. We'll be here to support our legacy RadiantGrid for customers still working through huge libraries of codecs/containers unsupported in the 64bit world. We'll also have our 32bit SpaceTime library (which has Tachyon in it) because many of our transcoding brethren are in the same boat we are. The bottom line is we have you covered for the past, present, and future.
We hope you found this article about 32 vs. 64 bit Transcoding helpful. If you require more information about our products, please contact us for a demo or more information.
Ernie Sanchez, COO, Cinnafilm, Inc.
[email protected]
Categories: Features / PixelStrings Engine / Products / RadiantGrid (legacy) / Tech Talk / Transcoding
Tags: 64bit / HD to UHD / RadiantGrid (legacy) / SDR to HDR / transcoding / UHD / x64
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
21/04/2026
Cloud-based production isnt going anywhere, and BitFire is doubling down by prov...
21/04/2026
The topic of artificial intelligence has a stranglehold on the sports-video-prod...
21/04/2026
5G is still a hot topic in live event production, and this workflow continues to...
21/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Ed McGivern, GM and President of Appear US, discusses the ...
21/04/2026
Studio Network Solutions (SNS) has announced an on-premise AI suite designed for...
21/04/2026
Suite Studios has integrated its file-streaming technology into the newly announced Frame.io Drive, a desktop application from Adobe company Frame.io. The colla...
21/04/2026
Net Insight has integrated InSync Technology's FrameFormer into the Nimbra E...
21/04/2026
Fox Sports has selected Appear as a technology partner to support the next phase...
21/04/2026
Diversified has appointed Tyler Affolter as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to lead the company's commercial organisation. The appointment follows the firm'...
21/04/2026
Layercake has formalised the integration of Bitmovin's video streaming infra...
21/04/2026
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has extended its distribution partnershi...
21/04/2026
Glookast has launched the Cinnafilm Tachyon plugin for its Media Producer and Me...
21/04/2026
Eutelsat has entered into an agreement with Cadena Tres, a division of Grupo Ima...
21/04/2026
Dolby Laboratories and TV Azteca have partnered to introduce Dolby Atmos immersive audio to free-to-air television broadcasts. The implementation utilises the A...
21/04/2026
FOX Entertainment partnered with Verizon to overcome significant production hurd...
21/04/2026
Osprey Video has announced its technology showcase for the NAB Show 2026, highli...
21/04/2026
Riedel Communications (Booth C4908) introduced a range of new solutions at NAB S...
21/04/2026
The NAB Show is in full swing, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams are chasing down the hottest stories from all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. He...
21/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the URSA Cine Immersive 100G, an immersive cinem...
21/04/2026
Clark Wire & Cable is continuing its evolution from cable supplier to full-scale solutions partner for broadcast and live production. At the 2026 NAB Show, we s...
21/04/2026
Rashad Frett attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Ricky at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, UT. (Photo by George Pimentel/Shut...
21/04/2026
Five years ago, Spotify arrived in Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the country's music scene. Since then, local listeners have explored across genres, ge...
21/04/2026
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has been our program for spotlighting emerging artists around the world. This year marks the sixth edition of RADAR Spain, our o...
21/04/2026
Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards
Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...
21/04/2026
Latest hybrid sampling/synthesis instrument arrives
Arturia's Augmented series offerings rely on a mixture of sampling and synthesis, allowing users to ...
21/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host Power Electronics Online Conference From Design to Vali...
21/04/2026
MAS and Lockheed Martin partner to establish an F-35 depot in Canada, enabling in-country sustainment and creating high-skilled aerospace jobs....
21/04/2026
Advertising strategies shift as competition grows for a large, active and qualit...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Layercake Deepens Bitmovin Integration to Power End-to-End Media Orchestration w...
21/04/2026
Cobalt Digital Announces Launch of blueCORE at NAB Show 2026: Compact Powerhouse...
21/04/2026
On-Premise AI Suite from Studio Network Solutions Debuts at NAB Show 2026
Melanie Ciotti April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Unlimited processing, no cloud depe...
21/04/2026
London, 21 April 2026 IBC today announced the appointment of Tim Banham as its first Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), a newly created role that reflects the or...
21/04/2026
Motion Design Tools - April 2026
Roland Kahlenberg April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Within 2 days, Maxon and Canva announced pro-level motion design apps - A...
21/04/2026
Chaos and Zero Density to Showcase Real-Time Ray Tracing for Virtual Studios and...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
It's Officially a 64bit World Or Is It? 32 vs. 64 bit TranscodingPublished: October 21st 2019
