V-Nova announces the completion of MPEG-5 LCEVC standard

Nov 5, 2020 | Business, Entertainment, Gaming, Tech

• MPEG-5 Part 2 LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding) achieves ISO FDIS standard status (ISO 23094-2)
• Independently validated to deliver higher quality at up to 40% lower bitrates, LCEVC enhances the compression & computational efficiency of any codec on any device
• LCEVC is already being trialled by a number of companies spanning many industry verticals where high-quality, low-latency video is core to business success

V-Nova, a leading provider of video compression solutions, today announces a milestone achievement in MPEG-5 Part 2 LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding) being promoted to MPEG/ISO final draft international standard. V-Nova co-chaired the standard’s development and contributed to the foundational technology upon which it is built.

MPEG-5 Part 2 LCEVC is the first internationally accredited enhancement standard for any existing and future video compression scheme. It enhances the compression performance of any base video codec (e.g., AVC, HEVC, AV1, EVC or VVC) and offers improved picture quality at up to 40% lower bitrates for both live and VoD delivery. Additionally, it provides a 2-4x improvement in encoding computational efficiency. LCEVC enables greener and more cost-effective video delivery workflows whilst maintaining compatibility with the device ecosystem of the enhanced codec. It empowers services to improve quality-of-experience for viewers without having to duplicate workflows or wait for device replacement cycles.

Guido Meardi, CEO and co-founder at V-Nova, says, “We are extremely proud to have contributed to this innovative standard, as part of such a successful collaboration with industry leaders. LCEVC is poised to immediately deliver a step-change in usage and profitability to a host of existing services. The standard has broad applicability, we are already seeing great traction and are committed to ensuring rapid adoption.”

In live sports delivery when serving millions of concurrent streams to all kinds of devices, LCEVC provides greater reliability, reducing buffering events and increasing quality. It also helps to minimize latency, facilitating new business models such as betting and other real-time interactivity applications.

Luis Vicente, Group CEO Eleven Sports; “As a leading global sports and e-sports media destination, we are extremely excited by the game-changing opportunities presented by MPEG-5 LCEVC. It will change the world of sports, media & entertainment video delivery, providing a better service at a substantially lower cost. I am also convinced that it will play an important role in our journey towards zero latency. We are definitely looking to become an early adopter.”

Hyper-scale operators like social media and e-sports platforms are also looking at LCEVC as a key tool to drive enhanced user experiences through higher-quality and faster stream start-up whilst also reducing per user costs.

Karam Malhotra, Global VP Revenues and Growth and CEO India, SHAREit; “As one of the world’s largest social networks, LCEVC provides us with the opportunity to drive growth and profitability, by increasing user engagement while reducing operating costs.”

LCEVC is enabling urgently required advances in video conferencing. These include remote surgery and training in the medical domain with higher-resolution video over the same bandwidth connection.

Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram, CEO/Founder of Proximie; “When you’re dealing with someone’s health like we do at Proximie, the quality and reliability of the video link is not an add-on, its paramount. MPEG-5 LCEVC can enable us to deliver global access to healthcare in a reliable, effective and cost-efficient way.”

For global broadcasting services, LCEVC is enabling a speedy, seamless and cost-effective upgrade to higher picture quality across all devices regardless of bandwidth.

Fathi Albatie, Broadcast Services Lead at Al Jazeera Media Network says; “LCEVC will become a cornerstone of video content distribution thanks to its compatibility with all baseline codecs (H.264, HEVC, AV1 etc.). I can see LCEVC shaking up the streaming business immediately.”

The ecosystem of LCEVC support is also building rapidly amongst a number of key industry vendors.

Thomas Kramer, VP Product at MainConcept, “We’ve evaluated LCEVC-enhancement with our AVC and HEVC encoders and have been very impressed by the results particularly for important new use cases like 8k delivery. LCEVC is the very definition of a future-proof technology by virtue of working with both existing and future codecs, and we look forward to further exploring its integration across our codec line-up.”

For more information, please contact info@v-nova.com

###

About V-Nova
V-Nova, a London based IP and software company, is dedicated to improving data compression by building a vast portfolio of innovative technologies based on the game-changing use of AI and parallel processing for data, video, imaging, point cloud compression, with applications across several verticals.

This is achieved through deep-science R&D (300+ international patents) and the development of products that test, prove and continuously enhance the technology portfolio.

V-Nova LCEVC is the industry’s first highly optimized library for encoding and decoding enhanced video streams with MPEG-5 Part 2, Low-Complexity Enhancement Video Coding (LCEVC). V-Nova VC-6 is a high-performance AI-powered software library for SMPTE VC-6 (ST-2117) which is used primarily for professional production workflows and imaging applications.

V-Nova has developed multiple award-winning software products to kickstart the ecosystems for its technologies and allow their immediate deployment, addressing use cases in TV, media, entertainment, social networks, eCommerce, ad-tech, security, aerospace, defence, automotive and gaming.
V-Nova’s business model is to monetize its technologies through software licensing, IP royalties and product sales.

Press Contact
Page Melia PR
Becky Taylor
Tel: +44 (0) 7810 846364
Email: becky@pagemelia.com

Densitron announces new technology partnership with Polecam

Sep 29, 2020 | Business, Entertainment, Tech

KENT, UK, 28 September 2020: Densitron, the global leader in innovative Human Machine Interaction (HMI) and display technology, has announced the formation of a new long-term technology partnership with specialist cameras and accessories manufacturer Polecam. The two companies will seek opportunities in the medical market and elsewhere for a versatile integration of Densitron’s IDS (Intelligent Display System) solution with Polecam’s AutoPod+ Elevation unit for cameras and lighting systems.

In combination the two systems provide a powerful solution for filming, monitoring and displaying critical operations and other procedures in hospitals and medical centres. A popular choice for other applications as diverse as live music, motor racing and professional golf broadcast, the AutoPod+ is a remotely operated programmable telescopic elevation unit featuring up to three motorised legs that is ideally suited to the demanding capture requirements of the medical market. In deployment with Densitron’s IDS solution, it allows systems including PTZ cameras and DMX-controlled lighting to be precisely positioned, controlled and adjusted. The IDS solution can also be integrated into a medical centre’s wider AV infrastructure to allow images to be routed to other operational areas – for instance, rendering it unnecessary for some personnel to scrub up in order to check on the progress of an operation – and to educational theatres and training facilities.

Reuben Such, Global Business Development Director at Densitron, explains that the partnership has evolved out of a “growing awareness of the synergy between the two companies, and the steady increase in demand for IP-based capture, control and monitoring in various medical applications. Through conversations between myself and Polecam founder/owner Steffan Hewitt, it became clear that the combination of IDS and their AutoPod+ unit would give medical staff the ability to capture precisely the footage they require, and then have it be viewable on monitors around a facility. The result is a powerful solution that can be used easily by medical staff with a minimum of training.”

A major showcase project is expected to take place at a UK hospital during the next few months. But although the medical market will be the initial primary target for the partnership, Steffan Hewitt anticipates plenty of opportunities elsewhere.

“Medical is absolutely a core market for Polecam, and I know from conversations that have already taken place that this sort of combined capture, control and monitoring solution will resonate strongly there,” he confirms. “But I think that there are many other potential applications for this solution – including for the coverage of live music events in smaller venues, once concerts are able to resume, and capture of sports events for streaming services – and we look forward to exploring those with Densitron in the future.”