By the time we reach 2019, almost 90 % of all traffic on global networks will be of the type video.
That’s what the networking giant Cisco predicts in their ongoing visual networking index (VNI) forecast. To give some sense of scale why this is not off the mark, check out the table below which compares the file size of different media types when spending some 10 seconds previewing content on the web, as many of us do.
Video consumes over 1000 times more bandwidth and storage space than a simple text page. Take note that the table entry shows compressed video, not the raw stream, which would equate to around 690 MB.
What’s more, of our five senses, vision is for most of us our predominant faculty. Researchers estimate that our sense of sight provides approximately 80% of all the information we receive about our world.
Both fixed and mobile networks are gearing up to satisfy our increasing visual appetite on consumer devices. Video codecs are a paramount element in the network ecosystem in that they cut bandwidth and storage requirements, allowing more streams to fit into a transmission channel. They essentially analyse the video at the source, strip out redundant information and compress the footage to the limit. After transmission, the compressed stream is decoded at its destination to deliver a near-perfect version of the original material.
Historically the video industry has relied on patent pools for creating and distributing income from proprietary or standards-based codec usage. In essence, a patent pool aggregates all contributing patents into a single portfolio in an attempt to make the licensing process simpler for the hard- or software equipment manufacturer / network operator / content service provider who wishes to use the codec. Given that there are often between 500 to 1000 patents comprising a video codec, paying royalties to single “patent pool” company removes the administrative nightmare. This has worked well in the past, in particular in the professional video and broadcast industry. It has led to a dominant video codec standard called H.264, managed by the patent pool company MPEG-LA.
Next-generation video codec providers are keen to get their foot in the door by storming the royalty-based codec fortress. They claim that licensing fees stifle innovation and the uptake of superior technology, as well as propping up the largely private party of essential patent holders contributing to the codec standard. They may not be scaring the pants off such incumbents, but their attempts could bear fruit.
Stay tuned for more on how they are engaging in this battle.
You can find upcoming events such as conferences, expos and webinars covering video, broadcasting, streaming and multimedia in wi360's Mobile & Wireless Event Guide
That’s what the networking giant Cisco predicts in their ongoing visual networking index (VNI) forecast. To give some sense of scale why this is not off the mark, check out the table below which compares the file size of different media types when spending some 10 seconds previewing content on the web, as many of us do.
Media Type
|
File size of 10-second preview
|
Storage factor
|
Text (web page)
|
∼ 20 kB
|
1
|
Audio (MP3 - 192 kbps)
|
∼ 2 MB
|
100
|
Photo (8 MP / JPEG)
|
∼ 2.7 MB
|
135
|
Video (1280 x 720 - H.264 / 25 fps)
|
∼ 25 MB *
|
1250
|
* Typical file size of compressed video, largely depending on the the amount of movement next to other variables such as,image resolution, frame rate, color depth etc.
Video consumes over 1000 times more bandwidth and storage space than a simple text page. Take note that the table entry shows compressed video, not the raw stream, which would equate to around 690 MB.
Raw HDTV (720p) digital video bit rate (simplified):
25 fps x 1280 x 720 pixels x 8 bits/pixel x 3 colors ∼ 553 Mbit/s10-second raw video file size ∼ 690 MB
What’s more, of our five senses, vision is for most of us our predominant faculty. Researchers estimate that our sense of sight provides approximately 80% of all the information we receive about our world.
Creating Video Codecs
What sounds simple is in fact a lengthy and intricate process with development cycles spanning years. The evolution of video codec versions (often standards) may even be measured in decades. Research and development in industry and academia have culminated in 1000’s of patents, staggered in time, each having a protection lifespan of 20 years, and collectively bringing codecs to life that compress video streams by factors of over 100.Credit Where Credit is Due
Naturally companies and institutions that spent years engineering these feats wish to participate in the commercial success of their technology. Who wouldn’t be prepared to give a small cut of their incremental return for a sure-fire product that optimizes their resource usage by a multiple? Yet such rationale counts little in the power grab for a share in this multi-billion-dollar market.Video Codecs for Free?
A popular way of gaining market share is to possess a great technology and then give it away for free. Consumers love this and hardly question the technology creator’s business model and how revenues flow from a free-for-use product.Historically the video industry has relied on patent pools for creating and distributing income from proprietary or standards-based codec usage. In essence, a patent pool aggregates all contributing patents into a single portfolio in an attempt to make the licensing process simpler for the hard- or software equipment manufacturer / network operator / content service provider who wishes to use the codec. Given that there are often between 500 to 1000 patents comprising a video codec, paying royalties to single “patent pool” company removes the administrative nightmare. This has worked well in the past, in particular in the professional video and broadcast industry. It has led to a dominant video codec standard called H.264, managed by the patent pool company MPEG-LA.
Next-generation video codec providers are keen to get their foot in the door by storming the royalty-based codec fortress. They claim that licensing fees stifle innovation and the uptake of superior technology, as well as propping up the largely private party of essential patent holders contributing to the codec standard. They may not be scaring the pants off such incumbents, but their attempts could bear fruit.
Stay tuned for more on how they are engaging in this battle.
You can find upcoming events such as conferences, expos and webinars covering video, broadcasting, streaming and multimedia in wi360's Mobile & Wireless Event Guide
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