New technology that can reduce bandwidth requirements for video transmitted over satellite, cable, IP, and wireless media is now part of the media distribution eco-system.
Broadcast International’s application for a Canadian patent for its core CodecSys video compression technology has been allowed, the company says.
Up to 12 HDTV channels can be broadcast over the same network that currently has the capacity to support only two HDTV channels using CodecSys, the manufacturer describes.
The Canadian patent allowance builds the global acceptance base of the original 2007 patent that was granted for the core CodecSys video compression technology in the U.S. The company says its technology enables multiple expert codecs (used in the compression of video signals for transmission) to be used to minimize the bandwidth required to transmit video over bandwidth-constrained networks such as the Internet.
"Canada provides another productive marketplace in the growth of the CodecSys ecosystem,” Rod Tiede, President and CEO of Broadcast International, said in a release. “The addition of Canada builds on our global footprint, and includes other countries such as Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Taiwan that have issued patents that together protect the core capabilities that make our video compression capability a true breakthrough.”
Broadcast International's CodecSys software utilizes a patented, multi-codec approach in which a video stream is analyzed, and the codec best suited for a particular frame or video sequence is automatically selected from an entire library of specialized codecs. These specialist codecs are designed to handle particular types of high-bandwidth video frames or streams, such as fast-motion sequences in a basketball game or explosions in an action movie. These types of video are extremely bandwidth-intensive and pose chokepoints to generalist codecs. By selecting the best expert codec for the job, CodecSys is able to eliminate these chokepoints and offer performance several times higher than competitive products.
One of the key benefits of the CodecSys software approach is that CodecSys-based video encoders can be easily changed as standards and requirements evolve. With CodecSys, codecs can be upgraded and added through simple, cost-effective software downloads. Other commercial solutions based on embedded systems require costly, full replacement, the company describes. This upgradeable, "future-proof" approach eliminates the need for the costly replacement cycles required with encoders based on tightly coupled hardware/software architectures.
Broadcast International is a public company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.