Ott Technology News

Versatile Video Coding And Its Advantages

Published

10 months ago

May 26, 2022

All of us are aware of how heavy video files are. These heavy files are impossible to transfer or stream over the internet. To make streaming of the video content over the internet possible, there is a program called codec is used. Codec, the term is formed by using two different terms; coder and decoder. It helps in the compression and decompression of streaming data and makes it more manageable.

Since development is inevitable, there are several technical developments that are taking place with every coming time. Codec which helps in creating more manageable and transferable video content is also evolving with time. There are a number of codecs in the market that helps in compressing the data and thereafter delivering the content to the end-user without any hassle. These include H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9, and H.266.

Regular development improves the technical workflow. Versatile video coding or VVC (H.266) is an improved and new codec that is popular in the tech world. With VVC, streaming media is moving to a new version of itself. H.266 is considered a more efficient codec than H.265. This new codec is designed to deliver around 30-50% bitrate reduction as compared to the older one (HEVC). Let us understand how this codec is a better option than the other.

Understanding Versatile Video Coding

Versatile Video Coding or VVC also known as H.266 is a block-based hybrid codec. It makes it highly complex and capable. This codec is created by the Joint Video Experts Team (JVET). It is made to bring a futuristic video streaming experience to the viewers. As the name suggests, it is designed to be more versatile and to address all the needs of the video. It includes low resolution and low bitrates to even a high resolution and high bitrates. H.266 or VVC is a next-gen video encoding-decoding standard and is the successor of HEVC.

Earlier cable and satellite broadcast was the dominant player in the entertainment market and there are quite a few codec competitors. But with the technological developments and the change in the behavioral pattern of viewers, streaming become mainstream in the year 2021. Currently, there is no broadcast technology that can compete with streaming media. VVC (H.266) and HEVC (H.265) are presently the most valuable codec in the streaming market. While on the other hand, AV1 is amongst the relevant competitors for the above-listed one.

Advantages Of Versatile Video Coding

Every new video codec arrives with several changes and improvements. One of the reasons for moving from one video codec to the other is due to the huge improvements in the compression algorithm of the codec. The higher the ratio of compression, the lesser size would be.

There are a number of benefits that the H.266 is providing which includes:

Versatile Video Coding comes with a new algorithm. It provides around 30-50% more compression rate for the equivalent video quality than the predecessor codec i.e. HEVC.
A file encoded in VVC will be much smaller than the same file encoded in the HEVC codec.
H.266 could not be matched in terms of quality by any other codec with the same file size.
VVC is a much better option for streaming UHD content in different resolutions including 4K, 8K, or 16K on TV as well.
VVC gives better support to HDR (Hugh Dynamic Range) and 360 omnidirectional.

Without any second thought, VVC has huge potential. The initial VVC player distribution could be expected in the mid of this year. VVC codec is an amazing arrival in the world and will help in delivering great performance in terms of delivering content.

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Ott Technology News

Google Releases Lyra V2: A New Audio Codec

Published

5 months ago

October 12, 2022

Harshita

Google has recently released a new codec named Lyra V2, a better, faster, and more versatile speech Codec. The architecture of the new Lyra V2 brings scalable bitrate capabilities, provides better performance, provides wider platform support and generates a higher audio quality. With the release of Lyra V2, Google is trying to evolve with the community.

The Architecture Of Lyra V2

The latest release of the Lyra V2 is based on SoundStream, an end-to-end neutral audio codec. The architecture of the latest audio codec includes a residual vector quantizer Or RVQ which is present before and after the channel of transmission. RVQ quantizes the encoded content into a bit stream and thereafter reconstructs it at the decoder side.

This integration of RVQ into the codec infrastructure allows changing the bitrate of Lyra V2 at any time just by selecting the number of quantizers to use. To generate higher-quality audio more quantizers are used. This codec uses three different bitrates which include 3.2 kbps, 6 kbps, and 9.2 kbps which enables the developers to choose bitrates suitable for network conditions and other requirements. With this new architecture, the delay in the audio delivery is reduced from 100 ms from the previous version. It is most comparable to the most used codec Opus which has an approximate delay of 26.5 ms, 46.5 ms, and 66.5 ms.

This latest audio codec released by Google has the ability to encode and decode audio by 5x than the previous version. Apart from the speed and performance, the quality of the audio generated by this new audio codec has also improved. This model of V2 is exported in TensorFlow Lite. All this makes V2 a great alternative to other state-of-the-art audio codecs. It has the ability to be connected with more devices in bandwidth-constrained environments, making it an appropriate choice for higher audio quality requirements.

Ott Technology News

UniqCast IPTV/OTT/DVB Platform is now available in the Cloud

Published

6 months ago

September 9, 2022

Harshita

UniqCast, the market leader in providing end-to-end IPTV/OTT/DVB solutions has announced its availability on Cloud. The brand provides solutions for OTT providers, ISPs, Telcos, DVB, Mobile, broadcasters, and content owners. With its cloud offerings, UniqCast allows content providers and operators (specifically in EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions) to launch their video streaming services quickly without any up-front costs. UniqCast provides its services in the PaaS model which includes content management, CDN, transcoding, subscriber, and client applications. It has brought equally mature technology as the solution widely used around the world by operators.

The core benefits of UniqCast include premium UX for applications, the option of configuring UI, cloud or private CDN and an advanced business model. The central goal of this is to make the technology more accessible for every operator and content provider and to provide a premium user experience to all the viewers.

UniqCast cloud includes streaming and CDN capabilities which allows streaming from the cloud or other hybrid cloud models. The key differentiator of UniqCast from others is its licensing which allows operators to get lower bandwidth costs. The solution is designed to provide the minimum TCO (total cost of ownership) for service providers.

Top highlights of UniqCast Cloud include:

No upfront cost
Launch in days
Lower bandwidth cost
Multiscreen app with quality user experience
Anti-churn feature
Flexible monetization option
Live and cloud transcoding from cloud/on-site
Multi DRM protection for content
Option of configuring the premium UX
Support for IPTV, DVB and OTT services
Streaming option from the cloud or hybrid private CDN

With this step, UniqCast is trying to make the deployment of new services or replacement of the existing ones quickly with the least investment and no risk. The availability to launch multi-screen applications in a day with a robust backend and anti-churn quality will be helpful for video streaming services to decrease churn and increase subscribers instantly, says Darko Robič, CEO at UniqCast.

Ott Technology News

Apple iPhone 14 launch event: Place, Time and Expectations

Published

7 months ago

September 6, 2022

Harshita

The wait for the latest Apple iPhone 14 is almost over. The Apple ‘Far Out’ event is going to be held tomorrow (September 7). The main highlight of the event will be the Apple iPhone 14 but it will probably not end there. Apple is expected to introduce a range of products in its upcoming event which includes the next-generation Apple Watch- Series 8, 8 Pro, and Apple Watch SE 2.

About the event

Apple is going to launch a series of products where the main focus and highlight will be the Apple iPhone 14 series. The event will be held tomorrow at 10:00 AM PT (10.30 pm IST). The event will be held at Apple Park, Cupertino. It will be the first in-person event after the pandemic. The ‘Far Out’ event will be live streamed on selected platforms which include Apple’s official website, companies official YouTube channel, and the Apple TV app. As an option available on the company’s website, users can add the event to their calendars as well. To proceed further, you can visit the official website: https://www.apple.com/

What to expect

The event is going to be highlighted with the Apple iPhone 14 series but that is not the end of the event. The company may launch a series of products including four variants of the iPhone 14 (most likely) which include the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This time, Apple is going to skip the mini variant as launched in iPhone 12 and 13.

Apart from the major highlights i.e. iPhone 14, the company is rumored to launch the Apple Watch series which includes Watch series 8, 8 Pro, and SE 2. The 8 Pro Watch is rumored to offer improved fitness and health features, advanced sensors, durability, and long battery life. Yet all the products may or may not get launched tomorrow. The wait is going to end soon, till then we will keep you informed.