MPEG Internet Video Coding

MPEG is working on a standard for Internet Video Coding. The aim is to develop a standard that includes a royalty free Baseline Profile, with performance that is comparable to the Baseline Profile of H.264/AVC.

The plan is to develop a final draft of the standard by July 2014. You can read the Call for Proposals here:
http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/standards/exploration/internet-video-coding/call-proposals-internet-video-coding-technology

and a draft of the Test Model (an early working version of the proposed standard) is available here:
http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/standards/exploration/internet-video-coding/internet-video-coding-test-model-itm-v-60

The Test Model includes familiar elements such as 16x16 macroblocks, a DCT-like transform and motion compensated prediction, with multiple reference pictures, bidirectional prediction and multi-hypothesis prediction.

We'll keep you posted as the IVC standard continues to develop.

- Iain Richardson

Visiting DC this week

Delighted to be heading to Washington DC this week to give an invited talk to technical staff at the Smithsonian Institution. I'll be talking about recent developments in video coding formats, including the new HEVC standard, and what implications these developments might have for the Smithsonian.

Video: introduction to coding video

A short, easy introduction to video compression or video coding, by Iain Richardson, author of "The H.264 Advanced Video Compression Standard". Find out:
- why video coding is important
- why video codecs keep getting better
- what are the building blocks of a video codec
- how do partitioning, prediction, transform and entropy coding work
- how much can HEVC compress a video clip.

Play on Youtube

HEVC resources: update

Recent HEVC / H.265 resources:

1. An introduction to High Efficiency Video Coding (PDF)

2. HEVC walkthrough: taking you through some of the features of HEVC 

using the Elecard HEVCAnalyzer (Youtube or Vimeo).

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) Walkthrough by Vcodex from vcodex on Vimeo.

3. Getting started with HEVC : how to download + play back HEVC clips

Comments and feedback are always welcome.

- Iain

The next book : Coding Video

My next book on video compression, with a working title "Coding Video", is due to be published in late 2014. I'll be posting news and updates here, plus you can give my author page on Facebook a "Like" to keep up with the latest developments:

Click here to Like on Facebook

Tech talks on video compression

I enjoyed giving two invited talks on video compression in Washington DC last week. The first was for patent examiners at the US Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) and the second was for patent attorneys and associates at Sterne Kessler Goldstein Fox.

Many thanks to both organisations for making me feel so welcome.

If you'd like to book me for a specialist talk on video coding, HEVC or related topics, please get in touch and I'll do my best to accommodate you.

- Iain Richardson

HEVC Tutorial and Video Walkthrough

I've posted the first in a series of tutorials and resources for the new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) standard.

1. An introduction to High Efficiency Video Coding (summary version)

2. An introduction to High Efficiency Video Coding (full version): coming soon

3. HEVC walkthrough: taking you through some of the features of HEVC using the Elecard HEVCAnalyzer (Vimeo).

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) Walkthrough by Vcodex from vcodex on Vimeo.

Comments and feedback are always welcome.

- Iain