Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants team up to create next-gen video codec

[satam55]

"
Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants team up to create next-gen video codec

Optimizing for a better tomorrow

By Nick Statt on September 2, 2015 09:44 pm

In a rare moment of cooperation, seven of the technology industry's most prominent software makers have banded together to create a next-generation standard for encoding and decoding video streams. The Alliance for Open Media consists of Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix, and it's working to deliver next-generation tools it says will be royalty-free and open source.

Companies like Netflix and Amazon can pay millions of dollars a year to license codecs, which allow streaming media files to be transmitted and displayed on our devices. But competing formats, a lack of standards, and battles over patents have created headaches for companies that would rather organize — and optimize — around a single codec. The Alliance for Open Media was likely driven in part by demands for royalties from the industry group HEVC Advance, which is making patent claims on a successor to the popular H.264 codec that is capable of transmitting 4K video at half the current bandwidth.

"The new Alliance is committing its collective technology and expertise to meet growing internet demand for top-quality video, audio, imagery and streaming across devices of all kinds and for users worldwide," organization said in a press release. The main goal right now is to develop a next-gen video codec in the next two years that will incorporate all the latest work from Cisco's Thor project, Google's VP9 and VP10 codec work, and Mozilla's Daala initiative. That way, there will be a single technology created by those responsible for much of the backbone of modern Web traffic, along with help from some of the biggest web video providers. The alliance expects to add more members starting next to year to bolster its position against competing codecs in the marketplace.


Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants team up to create next-gen video codec
"


Hmmmmm. I thought it was just a given that HEVC/H.265 is the next-gen video codec. Looks like folks who already bought a 4K TV, Streaming media box, or etc. just took an L.

 

[itsyoung!!]

Does this make it easier for them to crack down on bootlegging if its just 1 universal codec ? kind of like Cinavia does now? Like each actual digital download / purchased dvd /bluray will have a digital barcode and if it doesnt register with a purchase then youll get an error trying to play

I dont like all these companies working together nothing good can come from it if they are all working together its to help their profits in some way they aint doing this for charity and licenses. Theres an ulterior move here

 

[Hersh]

tomorrow will b patched

 

[Doomsday]

This is to counter bootleggers. Eventually they will have it to where you won't be able to pirate anything digitally. Microsoft got the ball rolling with Windows 10, this is just another step to that ultimate goal.

 

[ORDER_66]

Technology will always be able to be hacked.... No matter what though...

 

[Saint1]

This is to counter bootleggers. Eventually they will have it to where you won't be able to pirate anything digitally. Microsoft got the ball rolling with Windows 10, this is just another step to that ultimate goal.

I'm not so sure that's the case. The website says that they are developing it so it can be used for user-created content. Also notice that Apple and electronics manufacturers are not in the alliance, both of which would be completely for stopping pirating.

It really seems like they don't want to have to pay a company to use a codec.

 

[The Phoenix]

This is to counter bootleggers. Eventually they will have it to where you won't be able to pirate anything digitally. Microsoft got the ball rolling with Windows 10, this is just another step to that ultimate goal.

Explain.....what did they do to Windows 10 to stop you from playing videos? I hadn't heard about this.

 

[Artificial Intelligence]

.......................

 

[Doomsday]

Explain.....what did they do to Windows 10 to stop you from playing videos? I hadn't heard about this.

Microsoft tracks everything you do now.

 

[itsyoung!!]

I'm not so sure that's the case. The website says that they are developing it so it can be used for user-created content. Also notice that Apple and electronics manufacturers are not in the alliance, both of which would be completely for stopping pirating.

It really seems like they don't want to have to pay a company to use a codec.

maybe they arent in the alliance because they aint get invited to the table, ever thought of that ?

 

[itsyoung!!]

How ? Its open source and free

if its 1 universal codec, then its harder to rip / save as another codec to bootleg.

Example, say right now its easy for playstation 4 to detect bootlegs saved under 1 codec, but not under another codec (same movie, just altered differently using a different codec to get around the block). If everything is just 1 universal codec, then itll be easier for manufactures to block bootleg movies being played (digital stamp on each purchase/digital download)

 

[Strapped]

where is apple or vlc

 

[Saint1]

maybe they arent in the alliance because they aint get invited to the table, ever thought of that ?

yeah that's part of the point. It's open source and free.

 

[winb83]

"
Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants team up to create next-gen video codec

Optimizing for a better tomorrow

By Nick Statt on September 2, 2015 09:44 pm

In a rare moment of cooperation, seven of the technology industry's most prominent software makers have banded together to create a next-generation standard for encoding and decoding video streams. The Alliance for Open Media consists of Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix, and it's working to deliver next-generation tools it says will be royalty-free and open source.

Companies like Netflix and Amazon can pay millions of dollars a year to license codecs, which allow streaming media files to be transmitted and displayed on our devices. But competing formats, a lack of standards, and battles over patents have created headaches for companies that would rather organize — and optimize — around a single codec. The Alliance for Open Media was likely driven in part by demands for royalties from the industry group HEVC Advance, which is making patent claims on a successor to the popular H.264 codec that is capable of transmitting 4K video at half the current bandwidth.

"The new Alliance is committing its collective technology and expertise to meet growing internet demand for top-quality video, audio, imagery and streaming across devices of all kinds and for users worldwide," organization said in a press release. The main goal right now is to develop a next-gen video codec in the next two years that will incorporate all the latest work from Cisco's Thor project, Google's VP9 and VP10 codec work, and Mozilla's Daala initiative. That way, there will be a single technology created by those responsible for much of the backbone of modern Web traffic, along with help from some of the biggest web video providers. The alliance expects to add more members starting next to year to bolster its position against competing codecs in the marketplace.


Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants team up to create next-gen video codec
"


Hmmmmm. I thought it was just a given that HEVC/H.265 is the next-gen video codec. Looks like folks who already bought a 4K TV, Streaming media box, or etc. just took an L.

My TV has a full One Connect Box on it. The guts of the TV aren't in the panel but a separate box you connect to the TV. I specifically bought this TV for that reason. Whenever some new standard or codec hits all I gotta do is buy the new One Connect Box that supports it for $300 or so.

 

[satam55]

"

Hmmmmm. I thought it was just a given that HEVC/H.265 is the next-gen video codec. Looks like folks who already bought a 4K TV, 4K Streaming media box, or etc. just took an L.

My TV has a full One Connect Box on it. The guts of the TV aren't in the panel but a separate box you connect to the TV. I specifically bought this TV for that reason. Whenever some new standard or codec hits all I gotta do is buy the new One Connect Box that supports it for $300 or so.

That's still an L.You gotta buy a new $400 box if this becomes a new supported standard.