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Netflix updated its video encoding to make downloads look better
From time to time, Netflix updates the technology it's using to convert and compress each of the digital copies of movies it streams to customers. Because people watch from so many different platforms, in so many different situations, it has to be ready for any number of possibilities. Late last year, it revealed the use of a smarter way to apply compression, recognizing that different types of content (animation like Bojack Horseman vs. dark action scenes in Daredevil) need different levels of bitrate or resolution to look their best. Now it's focused on enhancing the efficiency of compression, starting with the video it delivers to mobile devices.
Richard Lawler12.05.2016
AllCast will let you mirror any Android phone's screen on your PC
AllCast has let almost any Android device send photos and videos to the Chrome desktop browser for a while, but mirroring your screen has been a pain; if you didn't have a Nexus 5, you were out of luck. That clever feature is about to get a lot more useful, though. Koushik Dutta has reworked the app's mirroring code so that it now uses a common video format (H.264), letting you mirror the screen of any halfway modern phone on your PC; if you can run AllCast in the first place, you're probably fine. There's significant lag, but it should be enough to show your friends a hot new app without having to buy a Chromecast (or a TV, for that matter). The upgrade should arrive soon, so swing by Google Play if you'd like to use your computer as a second screen.
Jon Fingas08.17.2014
Cisco plans to open-source H.264 code, widen support for web-based video chat
WebRTC promises plugin-free video chat in our browsers, but it has been stuck in limbo due to format squabbles -- some companies want royalty-free standards like VP8, while others insist on the wider support of H.264. Today, Cisco is proposing a truce between the two camps. It's planning to open-source its H.264 codec without passing on the royalties it pays to MPEG-LA, effectively making the standard free when used in web conversations. Mozilla is endorsing the strategy; although it still prefers open video technologies like VP8 and Daala, it believes that Cisco's move would let both Firefox clients and Firefox OS use H.264 for more tasks. Nothing is set in stone at this point, however. Industry members will pick WebRTC's video standard on November 7th, and there's no guarantee that their choice will dovetail with Cisco's plans. If all goes well, though, we won't have to fret much over the apps and devices we use for our video discussions.
Jon Fingas10.30.2013
Google+ Hangouts moving to HD video soon, going plugin-free within months
You may not have noticed it yet, but Google is in the middle of sweeping changes to Hangouts that should offer big improvements to image quality and accessibility. The company tells GigaOM that it's currently upgrading its video chat service to 720p by switching from the H.264 video codec to the more efficient (and Google-controlled) VP8 standard. HD-quality Hangouts should be available soon after Google finishes the VP8 rollout to web users late next week. A sharper picture is just one part of the puzzle, however. The switch to VP8 also sets the stage for WebRTC support, which will let Google offer plugin-free Hangouts in browsers like Chrome and Firefox within the next several months. The search giant will still offer a plugin for holdouts, but they may soon be the exceptions to the rule.
Jon Fingas08.28.2013
Xbox One SmartGlass brings more control, content to companion devices
Microsoft's Xbox One is promising even more second-screen support than we saw on the Xbox 360. An improvement of the SmartGlass integration we've seen pop up on the Xbox 360, Microsoft says it can make your mobile device feel like it was "built" to work with your console. The current SmartGlass app has seen over 10 million downloads, and it looks like Microsoft is aiming for more this time around. It will also be able to screen scrape video, encode it to h.264 and send it over to your second screen, although what will work on which devices is still unknown. What is mentioned in the press release is that it will support multiple devices at once, for multiplayer and shared entertainment. It's also promising exclusive experiences with its NFL partnership that attach to SmartGlass and Skype integration, so we'll expect to see more about that in the future.
Richard Lawler05.21.2013
AMD offers open-source Linux driver for hardware video decoding
AMD's Unified Decoder has been the object of envy in the open-source community for some time. The silicon, which ships on the company's Radeon graphics cards, offers hardware-accelerated video decoding -- but thanks to legal and DRM issues, couldn't be used on Linux machines. AMD, however, has somehow scythed through the red tape to offer a driver that'll let those same Linux users access to the golden chalice of video decoding. The new patch allows for hardware accelerated playback of H.264, VC-1 and MPEG file formats on which Radeon HD 4000 - 7000 series card is jammed into your HTPC, although we should offer the usual warning that as there's no public documentation, you might have to do some tinkering to make it work.
Daniel Cooper04.03.2013
Google and MPEG LA settle up, free VP8 video codec for the world wide web
The longstanding disagreement between Google and MPEG LA is finally over, as the two parties have reached a licensing agreement for several patents covering video compression. As a quick refresher, MPEG LA owns the technology behind h.264, the current king of video codecs. Meanwhile, Google's own VP8 video codec is a part of its WebM standard, but MPEG LA cried foul, claiming that Google's technology was infringing. Apparently, the companies found common ground, and with the settlement in place, WebM is free from patent encumbrances and video producers can do what they do without fear of legal retribution.
Michael Gorman03.07.2013
Judge invalidates 13 Motorola patent claims against Microsoft
Google's Motorola branch isn't having much success lately in getting patent claims to stick against Microsoft. A few months after the company dropped some ITC claims, the judge in a Seattle contract lawsuit has granted Microsoft's motion to invalidate 13 of Motorola's claims across three standards-based patents, all of them linked to H.264 video coding. The individual claims aren't well-defined enough to hold, Judge James Robart says. The ruling takes most of the thunder out of components in the lawsuit that aren't directly related to the contract, and could lead to lighter penalties against Microsoft should Google and Motorola win -- not that Google has much sway when it's prevented from seeking bans over standards-based patents.
Jon Fingas02.07.2013
Firefox nightlies now support AAC, MP3 and H.264 by default in Windows
Mozilla hasn't been the most eager supporter of commercialized media formats; it flipped the H.264 switch in Firefox's HTML5 support last year only when it was clear WebM wasn't taking off. Still, those who regularly test the company's latest work will be glad to hear that support for AAC, MP3 and H.264-based MP4 is now enabled by default in Firefox nightly builds. Provided you're using Windows 7 or newer, it's no longer necessary to change settings to play relatively common HTML5 audio and video formats. Web users wanting the extra support in a finished version of the browser will need to wait for a completed Firefox 22, which is expected to launch in late June; risk takers just need to check out the source links.
Jon Fingas02.07.2013
H.265 video gets ITU approval
Web and mobile video will soon get a boost thanks to H.265, a new video codec recently approved by the ITU. H.265, known as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), will deliver high-resolution video with half the bit rate of its predecessor, H.264. More than 80 percent of web video is now encoded with H.264, and the standard is supported by most technology companies including Apple. The ITU expects companies to start phasing-in support for H.265 in their next generation products and some companies, like Broadcom and Ericsson, have already showcased the technology. [Via iMore]
Kelly Hodgkins01.28.2013
Sony to release XAVC 4K video spec, licensees include Apple, Adobe
Sony has announced that it'll release an SDK to 4K developers this month for its recently launched XAVC video format used by the new F5 and F55 CineAlta camcorders. The new specification uses MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video compression, which allows up to 12-bit color depth, 60 fps shooting speed at 4k and 180 fps in HD. So far, fourteen companies including Adobe and Apple have signed on as licensees, and Sony says the format may come to consumer products as well. Details of the program along with an SDK will arrive this month, just in time for a possible Ultra HD onslaught.
Steve Dent11.14.2012
Motorola scales back ITC case against Xbox, drops WiFi patent complaints
Since taking over Motorola Mobility, Google has started to rein in some of the manufacturer's legal adventures. First, it struck a licensing deal with Apple in Germany, then it withdrew an ITC complaint against the company in early October. Now Microsoft is benefiting from its new, seemingly less lawsuit-happy adversary. Moto has decided to pull its WiFi-related patent claims from a complaint against the Xbox 360. That still leaves its H.264 patents on the docket, though, we wouldn't be surprised to see the case disappear completely before the two companies go to trial in December. Microsoft claims it's entitled to a reciprocal license from Google due to an existing agreement between Mountain View and MPEG LA. German courts have already ruled that Motorola's claims regarding its H.264 patents are strong enough to issue injunctions against the Xbox 360 and Windows 7, however the company has been unable to enforce those sales bans due to ongoing investigations in the US.
Terrence O'Brien10.26.2012
US Appeals court rules Motorola can't enforce injunction against Microsoft in Germany... again
In another face of the ever turning world of patent battles, Reuters reports Microsoft has snagged a victory over Motorola as the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in its favor today. Motorola had obtained an injunction in Germany against Microsoft products -- including the Xbox 360 and Windows 7 -- based on its h.264 patents back in May, but today the court upheld a previous decision putting enforcement on hold because of Microsoft's existing lawsuit against Moto for breach of contract. Microsoft's push to leverage its patents into licensing payouts from manufacturers of Android devices have seen the two at each other's throats since at least 2010, when the folks from Redmond lodged an ITC complaint over nine patents and followed up with another suit accusing Motorola of charging unfair license fees for its patents. Motorola fired back with its own pair of lawsuits -- all of this a year before we heard it would be acquired by Google -- and the battle was on. Whether or not this moves us any closer to any resolution remains to be seen, but at least Bavarian gaming consoles are safe, for now.
Richard Lawler09.28.2012
Raspberry Pi lands MPEG-2 and VC-1 decoding through personal licenses, H.264 encoding and CEC tag along
Making the Raspberry Pi affordable involved some tough calls, including the omission of MPEG-2 decoding. Licensing fees alone for the video software would have boosted the board's price by approximately 10 percent. Now, after many have made media centers with the hardware, the foundation behind the project has whipped up a solution to add the missing codec. For $3.16, users can purchase an individual MPEG-2 license for each of their boards on the organization's online store. Partial to Microsoft's VC-1 standard? Rights to using Redmond's codec can be purchased for $1.58. H.264 encoding is also in the cards since OpenMax components needed to develop applications with the functionality are now enabled by default in the device's latest firmware. With CEC support thrown into the Raspbmc, XBian and OpenELEC operating systems, a single IR remote can control a Raspberry Pi, a TV and other connected gadgets. If you're ready to load up your Pi with its newfound abilities, hit the source link below. Update: The Raspberry Pi Foundation let us know that US customers won't have to pay sales tax, which means patrons will only be set back $3.16 for MPEG-2 and $1.58 for VC-1 support, not $3.79 and $1.90 for the respective licenses. We've updated the post accordingly.
Alexis Santos08.26.2012
MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013
All of that squabbling over H.264 may be rendered moot in the near future. The Motion Picture Experts Group (better known as MPEG) has just let us know that it was quietly drafting a new video standard while everyone was on summer vacation last month: H.265, also called High Efficiency Video Coding, promises to squeeze video sizes with double the efficiency of H.264. As you might imagine, this could lead either to a much smaller video footprint for bandwidth-starved mobile users or a hike to image quality with the same size as before. Imagine fast-loading HD streaming on 4G, or cable TV without all the excess compression, and you've got the idea. Ericsson Research visual technology lead Per Fröjdh anticipates H.265 coming as soon as 2013, when our smartphones and tablets are most likely to play it first. TV and other areas might have to wait, although Fröjdh is offering a consolation prize -- he's teasing a separate MPEG project that could give us glasses-free, compressed 3D video as a standard by 2014.
Jon Fingas08.15.2012
FTC tells ITC that bans over standards-based patents aren't kosher, looks warily at Motorola and Samsung
Most of the scrutiny over abuse of standards-based patents has come through European Union investigations of Motorola and Samsung. That attention might come to the US if the Federal Trade Commission has its way. It just sent a letter to the International Trade Commission arguing that companies should be blocked from landing bans if they base their disputes on standards. These kinds of blockades "deter innovation" and spur companies to try for much more of a cash windfall from a patent than it's really worth, the FTC argues. The letter doesn't directly accuse anyone of getting their fingers dirty, but there's little doubt that it's referring to Motorola (now part of Google) and Samsung: their varying ITC disputes against Apple and Microsoft are often based around standards patents for technologies like 3G and H.264 video, which aren't supposed to demand legal action except as a last resort. An angry FTC missive doesn't constitute a formal investigation that would actively worry either Motorola or Samsung, but it certainly fires a warning shot across the bow.
Jon Fingas06.07.2012
Elgato Game Capture HD hands-on
Elgato first announced its Game Capture HD device mere weeks ago, but since the thing went on sale earlier this month, we hadn't gotten a chance to see it in the flesh. Naturally, given E3's all-things-gaming nature, Elgato brought the device to E3 and we got a chance to get our hands on one. In case you forgot, the Game Capture HD's a lightweight, palm-sized device that plugs in between your Xbox or PS3 and your TV to capture footage of you pwning family and friends. It then converts the footage into Elgato's preferred H.264 format and dumps it on your PC or Mac so you can share your gaming exploits with the world. Still not ready to drop $200 on the thing? Perhaps our gallery of pics can persuade you.%Gallery-157246%
Michael Gorman06.05.2012
Elgato announces Game Capture HD, shows off your deathmatch prowess in H.264
Elgato is releasing the Game Capture HD, a device that lets game-casters and YouTube walkthrough mavens shed low-resolution, over-the-shoulder smartphone footage once and for all. The sleek black box sits between console and display, enabling gamers to record their speed runs and kill records for the world to see. Xbox 360 users can daisy-chain the gear into their HDMI set-up, while PS3 users will have to use the bundled AV cable to circumvent Sony's stronger copy protection. The footage will then be compressed with the company's H.264 know-how and pushed to your PC or Mac for uploading. When it arrives at the start of June, it'll set you back $200 -- just giving you enough time to get practicing your soothing and confident narration voice.
Daniel Cooper05.21.2012
ITC issues preliminary ruling, finds Microsoft's Xbox 360 infringes on Motorola patents
Potential bad news to start out the week for Microsofties: a judge from the US International Trade Commission has issued a preliminary ruling that finds Microsoft's Xbox 360 infringes on five four of Motorola's patents (and in Microsoft's favor on one). While the decision is by no means final -- which means that the Redmond outfit could ultimately prevail -- a final ruling would force Microsoft's hand to seek proper licenses for the technologies, most of which relate to H.264 video encoding, or have its gaming console banned from US shelves. For now, the lawyers will go back to the lab to refine their arguments and get ready to present them to a full panel of ITC judges later this year. Who wants to set odds on the outcome?
Zachary Lutz04.23.2012
Microsoft wins injunction in Washington against Motorola, can keep selling stuff in Germany
Microsoft's been waging legal war against Motorola on several fronts for some time now, and today, team Redmond scored a victory in a federal district court in Washington that'll have repercussions in Germany. The judge granted Microsoft's motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that prevents Motorola from enforcing any injunction it may obtain in the parties' parallel action in Mannheim, Germany. As a quick refresher, this litigation's all about a bundle of Moto-owned standards-essential WiFi and H.264 patents. Naturally, Motorola claims that Microsoft's infringing its IP, and has sought to stop sales of infringing products in Deutschland. Meanwhile, Microsoft contends Moto's in breach of contract because those patents haven't been made available for it to license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. This latest legal victory in the US merely means that Motorola won't enforce any injunction it obtains in Mannheim -- which leaves Microsoft free and clear to peddle its wares in Germany.
Michael Gorman04.11.2012