and / or enhance video quality . However , with every new MPEG variant comes the challenge of legacy infrastructure and an ever-expanding number of codec users dependent on the current MPEG standard .” TRACTION . “ Consequently , H . 264 has significant traction , as it has formed the basis of players within tablets , smartphones , PCs and DTH HD transmissions . So where does that leave HEVC for applications other than 4K / UHD ? In short , it ’ s struggling to displace H . 264 ! Harmonic has recognised the potential of breathing new life into H . 264 by optimizing the compression toolset for streaming applications while staying compliant with the H . 264 standard and buffer model . At NAB , we demonstrated the latest work from our research group with an adaptive bitrate delivery use case that was showing up to 50 per cent bandwidth savings over our currentlyshipping AVC compression ,” he says .
According to Dr Giles Wilson , CTO SA TV and Media , Ericsson , HEVC is the prerequisite for UHD deployment for live TV , which typically takes a while to get over the ‘ hump ’ of installed set top box and consumer electronics infrastructure - as was the case with MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC . “ HEVC now has a critical mass of products , is an open standard and has scope for significantly reducing the costs of deploying 4K , 4K with HDR / WCG and HD with HDR / WCG ,” he states .
“ HEVC offers efficient bandwidth usage , targeted to 50 per cent reduction of bitrate compared to the MPEG-4 standard , but there seems to be some uncertainty concerning the deployment of the codec ,” admits Teleste ’ s Narjus . “ It still has its competitors in the field of content compression , and there are some differences between the codecs in e . g . bitrate reduction efficiency and support for techniques such as HDR .” PRESSURE . “ For OTT and other softwarebased applications , as well as for satellite content , HEVC is easy to deploy , and increasingly used . Within linear broadcast ( like DVB ), its deployment requires updating a large set of hardware , including consumer settop boxes and TV sets which in turn – due to the end-device-based monetising model of HEVC - puts more pressure on deployment costs . There are also new initiatives to create alternative codecs . One of those is AOMedia Video which pursues a new , royalty-free video
“ Making broadband scale for video delivery is a major challenge for ISPs .” – Ian Trow , Harmonic
codec specification , and is backed up by many leading industry vendors ,” he advises .
“ I don ’ t believe we have seen all of the savings that HEVC can deliver in real-time professional applications ,” states Fabio Murra , SVP product and marketing , V-Nova . “ However , because the HEVC codec is built on fundamentals and constructs that are similar to previous MPEG codecs , we can expect an overall compression efficiency increase that is incremental rather than the step-change that the industry needs . Annual rises in video traffic are already well into double-digits and an increased desire for 4K / UHD video will increase these pressures further ,” he warns .
“ Additionally , deploying HEVC in conjunction with new set-top boxes for pay-TV ecosystems is costly and isn ’ t always commercially feasible . There are also well known licensing issues ; with two patent pools ( MPEG-LA and HEVC Advance ) and patents holders like Technicolor and other companies who remain outside of them . The industry must look towards reducing bitrate requirements much further , it ’ s our belief that this can only be delivered through new compression schemes and structures ,” he suggests . FUTURE . As to future developments , he suggests that it is increasingly likely that some operators will use multiple codecs , including next generation codecs that offer flexibility and efficiency well above that of legacy approaches . “ It will be key to ensure that these can be deployed with minimum or no disruption to the existing broadcast and streaming ecosystems , including CA / DRM , content management systems , advertising solutions and the millions of set-top boxes and connected devices that are in the field .” “ When considering next-generation codecs , the commercial aspect is crucial . A successful codec is not about bitrate savings ; it must
support wider business objectives . These will include improving the quality of existing services , reducing infrastructure costs and enabling the launch of new cost-effective services with the existing deployed ecosystem of devices ,” he advises . G . FAST . Similarly , G . fast has its proponents as the means for telco networks to ‘ sweat ’ their copper assets . What are the challenges and implications of G . fast network deployments ? “ G . fast is in the early rollout phase , similar to what we ’ re seeing with DOCSIS 3.1 ,” notes Ciocirlan . “ The benefit of G . fast for a telco is that it gives the ability to compete with the type of services that the competitors in cable and fibre-to-the-home can offer for another couple of years . That ’ s significant because it allows them to prepare better and smooth their capex spending to avoid the hockey stick investments associated with large scale fibreto-the – home ( FTTH ) rollouts .”
“ G . fast is a step in the right direction , but telcos will still have to invest in FTTH technology much faster than cable operators if they want to stay competitive . The end game for telcos is a situation where they use a mix of technologies – VDSL and G . fast for the lowend subscribers , while high-end subscribers demanding multi-gigabit services will be moved to FTTH technologies . G . fast is here to stay and will be around for a long time – there will be many subscribers who do not require more bandwidth than what G . fast can deliver ,” he suggests .
“ G . fast has the potential to improve DSL speed in the same way that DOCSIS 3.1 can do for cable , offering services that approach Gigabit capability ,” says Trow . “ Like all DSL technologies however , G . fast is constrained by the quality of the copper line connection . To take advantage of the capabilities of the technology , a network upgrade will be required in some areas , which can be achieved by pushing Fibre deeper into the network .”
“ G . fast as such promises fast rollout of gigabit services even to individual households ,” notes Narjus . “ In practice , G . fast works on short local loops , which increases the amount of DSLAM devices required for the installations , and results in the need to deploy G . fast networks in conjunction with fibre rollouts .
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