VC-1 Encoder SDK
BBC, CreateSpace (part of the Amazon group of companies), Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation LLC and Xbox LIVE Marketplace among first customers to benefit from products based
on Microsoft(R) VC-1 Encoder technology.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 7 /-/ -- Today at IBC2007, Microsoft Corp. announced broad industry support for the Microsoft(R) VC-1 Encoder software development kit (SDK), a commercial offering first announced at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters conference in April. Leading companies in digital delivery services and compression tools have taken advantage of the substantial quality and performance improvements delivered through the new SDK and are building next-generation offerings that efficiently produce pristine video imagery for a variety of distribution and consumption scenarios. Additionally recognizing the benefits of faster encoding and the value of delivering best-of-breed video quality to their customers, leading content providers have adopted the new VC-1 Encoder technology through the use of new products and tools.
In the broadband and mobile content distribution segments, Red Bee Media has chosen tools based on the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder from Anystream Inc. to rapidly repurpose and streamline the delivery of high-quality, bandwidth-efficient video content for the BBC's innovative new iPlayer service.
"We chose Anystream Agility because it allowed us to utilize the efficiencies of the new Microsoft VC-1 Encoder to dynamically process and deliver the highest-quality video across a host of viewing scenarios," said Bob Johnson, chief technology officer at Red Bee Media. "With its extensibility from mobile-based scenarios to the highest-quality HD optical discs, the use of the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder provides us the with flexibility to deliver content to the BBC optimized for virtually any screen and know it's going to meet the BBC's high standards."
Top-tier content and service providers have also realized the benefits of Microsoft VC-1 Encoder technology in creating high-definition (HD) content for HD optical disc titles as well as broadband video on demand. European facilities CMC, DMP, Sonopress, Imagion AG and DS&DVD and U.S. facilities GDMX, Deluxe and Blink Digital (an Ascent Media company) are all delivering next-generation HD DVD and/or Blu-ray titles using the technology. In addition, Microsoft and Amazon.com recently announced a program for independent filmmakers allowing them to publish up to 1,000 HD DVD titles with no set up fee through CreateSpace, part of the Amazon group of companies, which uses the new VC-1 Encoder technology to produce high- quality, on-demand optical media titles. To date, over 85 percent of all HD DVD titles available in the U.S. have been encoded using VC-1.
In response to the efficiencies and quality of the new product, Microsoft's popular Xbox LIVE(R) Marketplace, with its high standards for quality and bandwidth, has also adopted the SDK and has committed to delivering only video created with SDK-based tools. Microsoft Silverlight(TM), a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering next-generation media, also supports content generated from products based on the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK, among others.
"As digital delivery matures, high-fidelity display devices proliferate, and consumer expectations continue to rise, content providers are recognizing the value of delivering superior-quality video to their customers," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of the Consumer Media Technology Group at Microsoft. "The Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK gives solution providers access to features and capabilities developed through years of experience with the Hollywood encoding facilities, generating the award-winning video quality seen on HD DVD today."
Among the first to develop products based on the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK are world-class solution providers Anystream, Envivio Inc., Harmonic Inc., Inlet Technologies, Memory-Tech Corp., Tarari Inc. and ViewCast Corp.
-- Anystream Agility. Anystream Agility is a solution for on-demand media
production and publishing. Since its launch, Agility has been embraced
by the world's leading media companies by helping them supply the
burgeoning demand for video in a wide variety of formats. Anystream
Agility automates and streamlines the time-consuming, specialized
production workflows required to deliver video content to the exploding
number of outlets and devices around the world. By optimizing
multiplatform content production, Agility enables content owners to
profitably exploit and scale new media business models.
-- Envivio 4Caster C4. The Envivio Convergence Generation Series 4Caster
C4 is a multichannel, multicodec real-time encoder that fits into an
Internet Protocol-based ecosystem to receive, decode, encode and
transmit programming via IP. The C4 can encode in Windows Media(R)
Video (VC-1), H.264 and AVS in resolutions targeting
standard-definition Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and Internet
TV. The design of the C4 allows service providers to protect their
investment by providing a solution that can be easily configured to
support a variety of formats within one unit.
-- Harmonic Rhozet Carbon Coder and Carbon Server. Carbon Coder is a
stand-alone application that handles transcoding between all major
video compression formats, as well as providing a host of additional
functions such as standards conversion, logo insertion and time code
burn-in. Carbon Server is a management tool that manages a network of
Carbon Coder engines to accelerate transcoding for high-volume
applications.
-- Inlet Technologies Fathom and Spinnaker. Fathom is an advanced encoding
platform that solves the problem of managing multiple output formats
for different viewing devices and allows the targeting of any playback
device, all from a single user interface. Spinnaker is a streaming
solution that delivers quality video and audio for live media delivery
applications such as IPTV; Web streaming; public, education and
government (PEG) channels; broadband TV; and enterprise, education or
government video.
-- Memory-Tech Digital Movie Factory Pro HD. Designed for user-friendly
workflow, Digital Movie Factory Pro HD combines the quality of the
Microsoft VC-1 Encoder with template-based compression and HDi
interactivity software to provide a powerful but streamlined tool for
HD DVD creation. Features include multiple audio tracks, subtitles,
full Advanced Access Content System (AACS) support, and output to HD
DVD-R disc and WinDVD HD.
-- Tarari Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media. Tarari provides hardware
and software acceleration of computing-intensive processes that are too
difficult for general-purpose CPUs to process in a reasonable time
frame. The Tarari Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media supports
hundreds of encoder applications and accelerates VC-1 encoding to
speeds three to 18 times faster than software alone.
-- ViewCast Niagara SCX Pro and Niagara Streaming Systems. ViewCast's
Niagara SCX Pro encoding management platform puts users in control with
a comprehensive set of user tools and integration Web services to
manage and deliver live and on-demand streaming content. Niagara
Streaming Systems are turnkey solutions for the acquisition,
digitization, compression and streaming of audio and video for Internet
and intranet delivery.
The ability of companies to build innovative products using the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK originated with the parallel encoding tool Microsoft developed to help studios encode the next generation of high-definition optical discs. That tool is now openly available from Sonic Solutions as its CineVision PSE product. CineVision PSE features powerful server-based encoding technology, stunning cinematic-quality encoding, extensive VC-1 parameter control, stream legalization and segment-based re-encoding.
More information regarding specifications and licensing of the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/resources/mediaandentertainment/ibc2007/vc-1.mspx.
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