av1 libaom video codec's Coding Tools Analysis by visionular
01 Mar
AV1, Blog Posts, Video Codec

libaom Coding Tools Analysis

This article comprises two parts. In part one I focused on providing analysis of the AV1 coding tools that in this part 2 will become the basis for examining libaom to determine which can be most useful in the pursuit of better coding performance (speed) and efficiency (bitrate savings). Some video engineers are claiming that there are too many parameters provided by libaom and though there certainly are many choices and this can lead to confusion about which to use, I’ve performed much of the analysis and hope that this post will be useful as you consider your own unique application and use...

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01 Mar
Blog Posts, Intelligent Optimization Technology, Video Codec

Bi-Prediction Based Video Quality Enhancement via Learning

This paper was presented by Dandan Ding, Wenyu Wang, Junchao Tong, Xinbo Gao, Zoe Liu, and Yong Fang, “Bi-Prediction Based Video Quality Enhancement via Learning”, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, June 17, 2020. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs)-based video quality enhancement generally employs optical flow for pixel-wise motion estimation and compensation, followed by utilizing motion-compensated frames and jointly exploring the spatiotemporal correlation across frames to facilitate the enhancement. This method, called the optical-flow-based method (OPT), usually achieves high accuracy at the expense of high computational complexity. In this article, we develop a new framework, referred to as bi-prediction-based multi-frame video enhancement (PMVE), to achieve a...

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demuxed-2020-decoder-complexity-aware-av1-zoeliu
01 Mar
AV1, Blog Posts, Video Codec

AV1 Encoder Optimization from the Decoder’s Point of View

Demuxed 2020 was a “don’t miss” event. More than 1,000 video engineers participated, and 28 video engineers, codec developers, and image scientists from Netflix, Disney, Facebook, Apple, LinkedIn, Akamai, Fastly, Cloudflare, VideoLan, and Visionular shared best practices, open-source projects, and the latest industry development trends in video. Our very own Zoe Liu presented a talk about optimizing an encoder from the perspective of the decoder. Video engineers understand the importance of ensuring playback stability and the role that the encoder plays. AV1 contains more than 100 coding tools as compared with its predecessor VP9. This is the key to AV1’s significantly improved coding...

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state of the AV1 video coding standard in Q4 of 2020
01 Mar
AV1, Blog Posts, Video Codec

AV1 Had a Huge Q4 – Ten Updates

Since the founding of Visionular, we have been passionately focused on building the AV1 standard by developing the best AV1 codec implementation possible. Aside from assembling the largest dedicated group of codec engineers in the industry, we have taken every opportunity to promote the AV1 standard as active members of the AOM. In the fourth quarter of this year, the team was especially busy. Here are a few of the more notable AV1 centric activities that we led or took part in. In October, Mark Donnigan moderated a panel at the Agora.io RTE2020 virtual conference titled “Selecting The Best Video Codec To Scale Your Apps for RTE” where he was...

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01 Mar
Intelligent Optimization Technology, Video Codec

How To Deliver HDR-Like Video In An SDR Package

What is Pseudo HDR?  HDR, or High Dynamic Range video retains more detail in an image’s brightest and darkest portions than standard dynamic range (SDR). It also displays a broader gamut of colors and texture.   Some of the limitations of HDR are less about the footage itself and more about the infrastructure required to view it. For example, many devices still do not support HDR footage.  Add to that the higher bandwidth needed to deliver it and you have significantly limited who can watch HDR originated or produced content.  Visionular provides HDR-like quality video while keeping it in an SDR format. We refer...

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fast AV1 encoding using visionular's aurora1 av1 encoder
01 Mar
AV1, Blog Posts, Video Codec

Fast AV1 Encoding Is Finally Here

For years “codec complexity” ergo “high computational cost” has hung over the AV1 codec, causing some to hold off adopting the standard. Since video codec developers are continuously improving the performance of their codec implementations, this assumption doesn’t have to be true. The secret to breaking the operational cost barrier for AV1 is to use an encoder that was built from the ground up, to take full advantage of all of the incredible encoding tools AV1 has to offer. Through joint core RDO optimization and adaptive AI-based video processing, we pull all those levers and squeeze every ounce of quality out of...

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29 Feb
Blog Posts, H.265/HEVC, Video Codec

Aurora5 HEVC Test Results – May 2022

We’ve all had the experience of having friends or relatives tell us how smart their babies are – and how do we respond? We smile, we nod… but we don’t really believe it. We just attribute it to the understandable pride of being a parent. Well, here at Visionular, our baby is the Aurora5 HEVC encoder. And yes, we do talk about how great it is. (It really is!) So, realizing that singing the praises of our own product may be less than convincing, we wanted to find a more objective assessment of its performance — and we decided to put the...

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13 Feb
AV1, Blog Posts, Video Codec, Video Transcoder

Why AV1 Matters – The Game-Changer in Video Streaming

The video streaming industry is on the verge of a major transformation, thanks to Apple’s latest announcement. The A17 Pro chip, built on cutting-edge 3-nanometer technology, is set to revolutionize video streaming with its dedicated AV1 decoder.   Yes, you read it correctly – Apple’s A17 Pro chip will natively decode AV1 content, setting the stage for some extraordinary advancements in the realm of video streaming.  But that is not all. The latest iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models also come equipped with a new USB controller, ushering in the era of USB 3 speeds.   What does this mean for you?  It translates to great video...

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