When it comes to preserving bandwidth for multichannel distribution of video, much of the discussion has centered on new compression algorithms (H.264 AVC and H.265 HEVC) that reduce bits and maintain pristine image quality. Thats because less data enables faster transfers, less storage, and lower operation costs while providing the opportunity to add more streams and channels for higher revenue. However several content providers are working with technology suppliers to develop workflows that process content before (Faroudja) and after (Cinova) the compression stage. This, they say, reduces bandwidth even further by identifying redundant bits and making adjustments in software accordingly. The perhaps best part, this technology is agnostic of compression standards, so it works with all existing infrastructures, so wholesale equipment upgrades (set top boxes and other decoding devices) are not necessary when migrating to the latest compression tools.
Faroudja Enterprises, a rebranded company located in Los Altos, California that specializes in video processing, has introduce its Video Bitrate Reducer(VBR100) patent-pending technology that is employed at the front or back end of a video processing and video over IP delivery workflow, before or after compression, and, according to the company, reduces video bit rates from 35 to 50 percent; without any perceptual loss of quality. And it is interoperable with any type of video compression or resolution, from standard definition to 4k.
The new Faroudja Enterprises technology also provides a concurrent lower resolution version at no extra bandwidth cost. For example, additional benefit (before and after compression is applied) is gained with 4K sources by delivering a 1080p parallel feed at no extra bandwidth cost, the company said. Company founders include Image enhancement pioneer Yves Faroudja, his wife Isabell and Dr. Xu Dong. The founders said they have realized that their experience in video technology is applicable to video compression.
The company said it designs and markets pre-processors and post-processors, used before and after compression coding/decoding, to achieve a lower bit rate and better image quality with existing codecs. It does not perform compression coding or decoding, but instead designs pre-processors to be used after decoding at the consumption device.
Faroudja Enterprises technology gives users either a choice of better image quality at the same bit rate, or if required, a 35 50 percent bit rate reduction for the same image quality as the original. In either case, compression artifacts are reduced and/or eliminated. They said significant results have already been achieved two patents have been granted, and three more are in the works. The processes are suited to a wide range of video, from teleconferencing and videophones, to standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHDTV) applications.
The company said that digital video compression systems efficiency often can be improved through the use of a Faroudja pre-processor (prior to compression) and a post-processor (after compression decoding). The workflow might include the use of a support layer in parallel with the conventional compression path (see diagram). The Faroudja scheme complements conventional compression standards (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and HEVC) and does not require any modifications of the standard codec.
Results are accomplished, Faroudja said, though the Faroudja support layer that helps provide full resolution at reduced bit rates. It can also be configured as a transcoder to help convert video between existing compression formats, such as MPEG-2, H.264, etc., to and from Faroudja Enterprises Support Layer format to save bandwidth, bit rate, or file size in the cloud without sacrificing image quality.
Demand for video bandwidth is doubling every 3 years, yet network compression schemes efficiency doubles every 10 years, said company founder Yves Faroudja. It is clear that a fundamental change must be made in how networks operate. Our new technology provides a solution for this today, easily integrates into existing systems, and is fully compatible with future compression schemes (e.g. HEVC, VP9, etc.).
Cinova, located in Mountain View, Calif., is another company that thinks it can improve upon current encoding schemes by working with a file after it has been compressed. The company, founded three years ago by CEO Dr. Anurag Mendhekar (who worked at the Xerox Park technology think tank and Yahoo), using a proprietary technique it calls Perception Optimized Processing as the basis for a software product called Crunch.
Mendhekar said they have come up with a set of parameters that describe the human visual system. They apply these parameters to every macroblock of ever frame of an encoded video. Taking the output from the encoder, the software looks at every macroblock (4x4, 8x8, etc.) of a frame and applies the parameters to that macroblock. From the results Crunch can compute a visual sensitivity index. Based on that index, the user can then decide how aggressively (or not) to transform that macroblock further or throw away unwanted elements of that macroblock. The result is improved picture quality and bandwidth saving of 20-50 percent, Mendhekar said.
We came at it from the angle that videos are viewed by human beings, so lets take a more explicitly human visual systems-based approach, Mendhekar said. What weve come up with are parameters that we feel accurately describe the human visual system. We reduce bitrates by up to 50 percent and we guarantee not to negatively harm to a frame of video. If I wanted to increase the savings even more, I could say, lets adjust the video quality to get where you need to be in terms of bit rate.
Today if a content provider wants to set 6 Mbps as a house format, theres
