Recently, Fraunhofer announced the completion of the latest video codec standard H.266/VVC. With the same image quality, it will save nearly 50% of the transmission traffic. The higher the resolution, the more the bit rate will be saved. The new standard is mainly for future 4K and 8K.
H.266 was jointly developed by MPEG and ITU. Global companies including Qualcomm, HHI, Huawei, Samsung, Sony, Intel, Nokia, Ericsson, Tencent, Ali and other companies have participated in it. Many of these companies are designing new chips to enable/speed up H.266. And the software that provides support for H.266 encoder and decoder will also be released this fall.
What is video codec technology?
Video is a dynamic image sequence formed by connecting pictures. If each pixel data of each picture is directly stored, the bandwidth occupied by the video stream will be immeasurable.
The function of video encoding and decoding is to compress and digitally encode the image before and after the camera captures the picture to obtain a more optimized and strong anti-interference code stream for transmission. Essentially, it is to use the smallest possible bandwidth to transmit high-quality video and audio data.
From MPEG-1 to MPEG-2, from H.263, H.264 to H.265 (HEVC), and now H.266, a series of standards are all aimed at optimizing the code stream and higher compression efficiency. Stability is stronger.
H.265, which was launched in 2013, is based on the H.264 codec structure, which improves the compression rate and coding quality, and still uses a hybrid codec.
In the era of ultra-high-definition video, the frame rate is gradually increasing from 30fps to 60fps, 120fps and even 240fps. Highly dense data brings huge challenges to bandwidth and storage. The current mainstream H.264 encoding and decoding technology can no longer meet the future needs of 4K and 8K, and H.266 came into being.
H.266/VVC's compressed video method is similar to H.265/HEVC, but has improvements in partitioning, prediction, and entropy coding.
Compared with H.265, H.266 further optimizes the compression performance. Under the condition of ensuring the same video definition, H.266 reduces the storage volume by half, the broadband traffic by half, and the image quality is more delicate.
For example, downloading a movie based on the H.265 codec requires 2GB, and with the same image quality, definition, and playback speed, the traffic based on the H.266 codec technology only needs 1GB.
Simply put, it can greatly improve user experience and reduce business costs.
If H.266 is popularized, all UHD video-related industries will usher in tremendous changes. It is not an exaggeration to say that the video codec technology H.265/H.266 is the cornerstone of 4K/8K UHD video development.
However, behind the carnival of technological iteration, there is a huge hidden danger: patent fee collection is chaotic. This is the reason why H.265 has not been popularized for 7 years.
Worries about the video codec technology H.266
The formation of a video codec technology standard is supported by nearly a thousand patents, and these patent rights are scattered in the hands of a large number of different companies. When the H.265 standard was launched, MPEG LA, the original H.264 patent pool, raised the H.265 fee standard. Some companies started anew and established a new patent fee organization. Many patent holders did not join the organization. Put forward a request to collect patent fees separately.
"At least four organizations or companies are currently charging H.265 license fees: the old patent pool MPEG LA, the emerging patent pools HEVC Advance and Velos Media, and Technicolor." An industry insider said.
"From the first day of finalization of H.265 in 2013, organizations and companies have begun to collect patent fees, and the patent fees for each terminal device can reach up to 1.2 US dollars."
The charging standard is too high and the charging subject is not clear, which not only greatly encroaches on product profits and brings high costs, but also brings serious intellectual property risks to enterprises. Now that H.265 has not been popular, H.266 is here. However, H.266 can't escape the problems of H.265.
"VVC is not a free and open source codec." Fraunhofer said that H.266/VVC has been patented, and only partners can use it through a unified and transparent licensing model based on FRAND principles (that is, fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory).
Some experts in the industry have said that traditional international standards organizations need to have the awareness of breaking the predicament, leading the establishment of a relatively clean ownership technology platform, and establishing a new standard that does not rely too much on H.265 in order to get out of the current predicament.
However, it now appears that H.266, which has evolved on the basis of H.265, will continue the chaos and crisis of H.265 patent licensing. H.266 industrial applications will not be able to quickly enjoy the benefits brought by technological development. Consumers It will also bear more costs.
The original intention of patent rights is to protect innovation and promote technological innovation and industrial development. Now, due to various factors, it has become the biggest obstacle to the development of the industry.
H.266 was jointly developed by MPEG and ITU. Global companies including Qualcomm, HHI, Huawei, Samsung, Sony, Intel, Nokia, Ericsson, Tencent, Ali and other companies have participated in it. Many of these companies are designing new chips to enable/speed up H.266. And the software that provides support for H.266 encoder and decoder will also be released this fall.
What is video codec technology?
Video is a dynamic image sequence formed by connecting pictures. If each pixel data of each picture is directly stored, the bandwidth occupied by the video stream will be immeasurable.
The function of video encoding and decoding is to compress and digitally encode the image before and after the camera captures the picture to obtain a more optimized and strong anti-interference code stream for transmission. Essentially, it is to use the smallest possible bandwidth to transmit high-quality video and audio data.
From MPEG-1 to MPEG-2, from H.263, H.264 to H.265 (HEVC), and now H.266, a series of standards are all aimed at optimizing the code stream and higher compression efficiency. Stability is stronger.
H.265, which was launched in 2013, is based on the H.264 codec structure, which improves the compression rate and coding quality, and still uses a hybrid codec.
In the era of ultra-high-definition video, the frame rate is gradually increasing from 30fps to 60fps, 120fps and even 240fps. Highly dense data brings huge challenges to bandwidth and storage. The current mainstream H.264 encoding and decoding technology can no longer meet the future needs of 4K and 8K, and H.266 came into being.
H.266/VVC's compressed video method is similar to H.265/HEVC, but has improvements in partitioning, prediction, and entropy coding.
Compared with H.265, H.266 further optimizes the compression performance. Under the condition of ensuring the same video definition, H.266 reduces the storage volume by half, the broadband traffic by half, and the image quality is more delicate.
For example, downloading a movie based on the H.265 codec requires 2GB, and with the same image quality, definition, and playback speed, the traffic based on the H.266 codec technology only needs 1GB.
Simply put, it can greatly improve user experience and reduce business costs.
If H.266 is popularized, all UHD video-related industries will usher in tremendous changes. It is not an exaggeration to say that the video codec technology H.265/H.266 is the cornerstone of 4K/8K UHD video development.
However, behind the carnival of technological iteration, there is a huge hidden danger: patent fee collection is chaotic. This is the reason why H.265 has not been popularized for 7 years.
Worries about the video codec technology H.266
The formation of a video codec technology standard is supported by nearly a thousand patents, and these patent rights are scattered in the hands of a large number of different companies. When the H.265 standard was launched, MPEG LA, the original H.264 patent pool, raised the H.265 fee standard. Some companies started anew and established a new patent fee organization. Many patent holders did not join the organization. Put forward a request to collect patent fees separately.
"At least four organizations or companies are currently charging H.265 license fees: the old patent pool MPEG LA, the emerging patent pools HEVC Advance and Velos Media, and Technicolor." An industry insider said.
"From the first day of finalization of H.265 in 2013, organizations and companies have begun to collect patent fees, and the patent fees for each terminal device can reach up to 1.2 US dollars."
The charging standard is too high and the charging subject is not clear, which not only greatly encroaches on product profits and brings high costs, but also brings serious intellectual property risks to enterprises. Now that H.265 has not been popular, H.266 is here. However, H.266 can't escape the problems of H.265.
"VVC is not a free and open source codec." Fraunhofer said that H.266/VVC has been patented, and only partners can use it through a unified and transparent licensing model based on FRAND principles (that is, fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory).
Some experts in the industry have said that traditional international standards organizations need to have the awareness of breaking the predicament, leading the establishment of a relatively clean ownership technology platform, and establishing a new standard that does not rely too much on H.265 in order to get out of the current predicament.
However, it now appears that H.266, which has evolved on the basis of H.265, will continue the chaos and crisis of H.265 patent licensing. H.266 industrial applications will not be able to quickly enjoy the benefits brought by technological development. Consumers It will also bear more costs.
The original intention of patent rights is to protect innovation and promote technological innovation and industrial development. Now, due to various factors, it has become the biggest obstacle to the development of the industry.
