VC-1 Encoder Development Tools - Microsoft

Microsoft announced the VC-1 Encoder development tools, for video encoding applications. The new VC-1 Encoder System Development Kit (SDK) offers performance improvements over the previously released Windows Media Format SDK, including faster encode times, better picture quality, ease of integrating future updates and some new features optimized for various video distribution channels.

Abaut VC-1
VC-1 is a video codec specification that has been standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and implemented by Microsoft as Windows Media Video (WMV) 9. Formal standardization of VC-1 represents the culmination of years of technical scrutiny by over 75 companies, leading to a codec that is well-documented, extremely stable, easily licensable, and accepted by the industry

Improved delivery scenarios include a transport stream for HD DVD or Blu-ray, MPEG-2 transport stream for broadcast and Internet Protocol television (IPTV), Material eXchange Format (MXF) for easy interchange, and the MP4 file format container. For broadcast and IPTV, in particular, it is now easier for tools manufacturers to implement closed captioning, improve interlaced encoding quality and performance, and enable easy output to MPEG-2 transport streams. Special features have also been customized for market segments such as high- definition optical discs; the Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK can enable parallel encoding for significant improvement in speed as well as segment-based re- encoding, which allows users to re-encode only the portion of the content that would benefit from another encode.

VC-1 offers superior quality across a wide variety of content types and bit rates, which has been well documented by independent sources: DV Magazine found VC-1 to be superior to both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. TANDBERG Television found VC-1 produces significantly better quality than MPEG-2 and comparable quality to H.264. These results were presented at the 2003 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC). C’T Magazine, Germany’s premier audio-video magazine, compared various codec standards—including VC-1, H.264, and MPEG-4—and selected VC-1 as producing the best subjective and objective quality for HD video. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) found VC-1 had the most consistent quality in tests that compared VC-1, RealMedia V9, the Envivio MPEG-4 encoder, and the Apple MPEG-4 encoder.

Leading companies are already offering products built on the new VC-1 Encoder technology, including Inlet Technologies with its line of Spinnaker live encoders for IPTV, Web-based applications and mobile delivery; and Tarari Inc.’s Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media, which increases VC-1 encoding speed by up to 15 times over software alone. The recently announced Sonic Solutions CineVision PSE for HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc is also built on the new VC-1 Encoder technology and includes parallel encoding and segment-based re- encoding capabilities.

The new Microsoft VC-1 Encoder SDK will be delivered as a stable and consistent set of application programming interfaces (APIs), allowing companies that manufacture content-creation tools to easily integrate the latest updates from Microsoft without having to re-engineer their applications.

VC-1 minimizes the complexity of decoding high definition (HD) content through improved intermediate stage processing and more robust transforms. As a result, VC-1 decodes HD video twice as fast as H.264, while offering two to three times better compression than MPEG-2. For additional technical details, see the VC-1 Technical Overview. Content creators who are seeking additional control over encoding settings can also review a list of registry settings in Using the Advanced Settings of the Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile Codec.

Since VC-1 is optimized for decoding performance, it ensures a superior playback experience across the widest possible array of systems regardless of bit rate or resolution. These systems range from the PC (where VC-1 playback at 1080p is possible), to set-top-boxes, gaming systems, and even wireless handsets.

An official Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard, VC-1 video is ubiquitous on the Internet and provides superior playback across a wide array of scenarios regardless of bit rate or resolution. These scenarios range from the PC (where VC-1 playback at 1080p is possible) to set-top boxes, gaming systems, wireless handsets and next-generation high-definition optical discs (HD DVD and Blu-ray). Microsoft’s VC- 1 Encoder technology has quickly become the tool of choice for Hollywood studios producing HD DVD discs and delivering digital downloads through leading online services such as the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Source: VC-1 Encoder - Microsoft