HEVC has significantly more tools to achieve higher video compression ratios than it’s predecessors, it’s key benefit is bandwidth reduction, targeting a 50% reduction in bit rate versus today’s MPEG-4 AVC benchmark at comparable video quality when fully developed.
2. The HEVC Quest: lower
bandwidth, higher quality.
WHAT IS HEVC?
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is the latest standard aimed at dramatically improving the compression
efficiency of video streams for resolutions from Mobile to Ultra-HD. It has been jointly developed by the ISO/IEC
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG), the same groups that
previously developed H.222/262/MPEG-2 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. It’s formal name is ISO/IEC 23008-2 MPEG-H
Part 2 and ITU-T H.265.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HEVC?
HEVC has significantly more tools to achieve higher compression ratios than it’s predecessors, it’s key benefit is
bandwidth reduction, targeting a 50% reduction in bit rate versus today’s MPEG-4 AVC benchmark at comparable
video quality when fully developed. In applications where minimizing video bandwidth per stream is not the highest
priority, HEVC can be used to significantly improve video quality at the same bit rate as its predecessors. In either
case, HEVC meaningfully reduces the cost of delivering video versus all other methods, achieving quick pay-back
from deployment due to reduced OPEX and CAPEX.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
HEVC can implement a more complex coding scheme than it’s predecessors and has been specifically optimized
to run on parallel processor architectures. Simplistically, HEVC achieves higher efficiency over predecessor MPEG
standards, using H.264/MPEG-4 AVC as a starting point, but with new toolset options and increased capability to
vary block size according to the content to better manage bit rate allocation over the complete picture. Of course
there’s more to it than that, but that’s the core concept.
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3. HOW WILL HEVC BE USED?
Ultimately, the efficiencies of HEVC mean that it will be used throughout video delivery infrastructures. However, this
will not happen overnight. Like MPEG-4 AVC, we expect to see a multi-year path driven by pragmatic deployments
where implementation is simpler, economics are most compelling, or bandwidth availability drives fundamental
service attributes. Within 2013, initial deployments will focus on OTT/Multiscreen applications where bandwidth
is often restricted and the infrastructure is more flexible as end-points can be software-updated to decode HEVC.
Linear TV deployments will also begin with IPTV/OTT applications followed by distribution and contribution in 2014.
Typical set-top boxes are non-HEVC compatible in hardware and must be changed for support.
WHO IS THE LEADER IN HEVC?
Harmonic. There are lots of press releases and science projects in this space, but only Harmonic has both demonstrated
the technology and delivered the specific product roadmap to enable it’s customers to predictably leverage this
exciting technology for service differentiation. With a track record of delivering technology that’s ready for service in
scale, Harmonic is the ideal partner in HEVC.
SUPPORT FROM MOBILE
TO ULTRA HD TODAY
Harmonic has announced support for HEVC within its
market-leading ProMedia solution. ProMedia Live
supports live streaming from Mobile to HD for realtime video to software clients on smartphones, tablets,
computers, gaming and streaming-player consoles.
This capability will be extended to allow ProMedia to
support resolutions up-to and including Ultra HD.
Promedia Xpress brings Harmonic’s quality/performance
leadership to file transcoding by adding HEVC and
allowing efficient handling of all types of content,
including Ultra HD for on-demand streaming, again
to software decode clients.
Sports drive demand for
better video quality.
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