Flash Video Featured Article

Broadcast International (News - Alert) reportedly has announced the availability of CodecSys AVC, the first broadcast-quality video encoder product based on the Cell Broadband Engine multi-core processor.

 

The new encoder is targeted to the global video delivery market and enables content providers to deliver live high-definition television at compression levels six times greater than that of commonly used MPEG2 equipment. This allows more HD video onto devices with limited bandwidth, such as mobile devices and kiosks.

 

CodecSys AVC includes Broadcast International’s ultra high-speed video compression software running on IBM’s (News - Alert) BladeCenter QS21 server, powered by a Cell/B.E. processor. The Cell/B.E. processor, originally developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba for gaming applications, on the QS21 helps CodecSys AVC set a new standard for H.264 encoders, giving the broadcast industry the ability to handle a high volume of premium quality video and a large number of video channels.

 

“We’re at the beginning of a global video revolution that will require video providers to purchase solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but adaptive to change,” said Rod Tiede, chief executive officer of Broadcast International. “Upgradeability and scalability should be foremost in the minds of these buyers, since the entire video infrastructure is undergoing a rapid transition and will continue to change for the foreseeable future. Our new encoder, based on our unmatched video compression software, accelerated by the Cell processor in a flexible IBM BladeCenter environment, offers the fastest, lowest bandwidth, most adaptive solution on the market.”

 

The new product is the first video encoder with the CodecSys “future-proof” software architecture that can accommodate emerging codecs and standards through easy, economical software upgrades. The design of the CodecSys AVC encoder contrasts sharply with that of other video encoders available which are based on tightly coupled, embedded hardware and software architectures that cannot be upgraded, and therefore require costly, full replacement.

 

“Video encoders are not only one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure required for IPTV (News - Alert), they also require the most advanced, most efficient and most flexible technology to satisfy today’s discerning customers,” said Jim Comfort, vice president, IBM Systems & Technology Group. “Together with Broadcast International, IBM’s Cell-based solutions are able to bring a new standard of performance for today’s video broadcast needs and beyond.”

 

“Consumers are demanding digital video across a range of end-point devices, from giant HDTV sets to Laptop PCs to handheld devices,” said Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst with InStat in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Professional encoders need to ride a technology treadmill to deliver more and better video through constrained bandwidth. IBM and Broadcast International have teamed up to provide a high-performance software-based encoding platform that can be continuously updated using innovative software, runs on off-the-shelf IBM Blade Servers, and benefits from the on-going investments being made in the Cell Processor (News - Alert). This approach provides a winning combination of technology, reliability and support.”