On2 Previews Next-Generation Video Codec
By Mark Long -- e-inSITE, 2/22/2002
On2 Technologies has released a preview version of a new VP5 video codec that represents the company's latest advancement in digital video compression. Designed to deliver higher quality at lower bit rates than MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Real 8, Windows Media 8, Apple Quicktime 5 or DIVX, VP5 is available right now in both download and streaming versions through the RealPlayer at the company's Internet Web site at www.on2.com.
On2's current flagship product, the VP4, has already broken the 1-megabit barrier for full resolution, 60 field-per-second digital video delivery, reports the company. With the release of VP5, On2 is now claiming to have achieved up to a 50 percent improvement in compression capabilities over previous generation technology. The company also claims that VP5 can even outperform the proposed H.26L standard, even with all of its advanced options enabled, in terms of picture quality, data rate and performance, while at the same time maintaining lower decode and encode complexity. In addition, VP5 features a real-time encoding function as well as the ability to handle interlaced video content such as live television broadcasts.
"VP5 can do at 340k what VP4 does at 500k and other proprietary codecs do at 600k," said president and CEO Douglas A. McIntyre in a prepared statement. "This codec delivers a similar performance advantage over other codecs from 30kbps to multiple megabit encoding. This advance means that On2 compression no longer has any direct competitors for higher-quality video at lower data rates, not Windows Media Player, not Real 8, not Sorenson and not Divx. This codec is in a class by itself."
The completed version of VP5 is expected to be available on multiple platforms, such as the Internet, set-top boxes and Digital Signal Processors by the middle of Q202. On2 already counts a number of large streaming and set-top box integrators among its licensed customers.
Equator Technologies has already integrated On2's VP4 technology with Equator's MAP-CA DSP. Texas Instruments has also licensed VP4 for inclusion on TI's 62x DSP for video and imaging applications. RealNetworks has licensed VP4 to allow its consumers to play files encoded using On2's VP4 format in the RealPlayer. In addition, On2 and Korea-based Picosoft are jointly designing a low bit-rate, ADSL, video-on-demand set-top box that will integrate On2's VP4 codec, client and server software and Equator Technologies' MAP-CA processor. Picosoft intends begin manufacturing the box for Korea ADSL users beginning in 2Q02.
Earlier this month, On2 responded to the MPEG LA's MPEG-4 metering scheme by offering the company's VP3.2 open-source codec to the Internet Streaming Media Alliance as a viable alternative to the MPEG-4 standard. "The promise of MPEG-4 has now been compromised by the MPEG LA fee structure," said On2 CEO Douglas A.McIntyre in a letter to the Internet Streaming Media Alliance earlier this week. "We are prepared to enter into whatever arrangements are appropriate with ISMA to re-open the door to open standards." To read more, go to: "On2 Bashes Lovely Rita Meter Maid."
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