Ericsson HEVC encoder, with improved efficiency, set for debut

The High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) looks to be a major area of interest at IBC and Ericsson says it will launch the world’s first HEVC/H.265 encoder for the delivery of live and linear TV over mobile networks, to mobile devices.

Capable of real-time encoding at resolutions up to HD, the new Ericsson SVP 5500 HEVC encoder greatly reduces bandwidth requirements for current and future services. It enables operators to deliver consistent, high quality TV experiences on mobile devices and to meet growing consumer expectations for TV Anywhere services, whether in the home or on the move.

“As operators strive to keep pace with the multi-screen consumer demand, they are facing increased strain on their networks. There is an immediate need for new video compression solutions that enable high quality pictures over mobile networks, while keeping bandwidth and storage costs as low as possible,” says Dr. Giles Wilson, Head of TV Compression Business, Ericsson. “We understand the dynamics of consumer and operator needs, and the launch of the Ericsson SVP 5500 encoder demonstrates our ability to make first to market moves that allow next-generation TV experiences to become mass market reality.”

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) promises to reduce the bandwidth requirements for video delivery by over 50 per cent compared to leading H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC implementations and to revolutionise delivery of TV services to all devices. Ericsson has recognised the first applications for this next-generation compression standard are for TV service delivery over mobile networks, to mobile devices, and the launch of this industry-first encoder responds to real customer needs.

“We are seeing a dramatic change in consumer habits towards TV – they still want to watch at home on their HD screen, but they increasingly expect to consume content on other all devices, whether in the home via Wi-Fi or out the house using mobile 3G and 4G networks,” says Ove Anebygd, Vice President and Head of TV, Ericsson. “Consumers are looking to find simple, enjoyable and seamless ways to consume any content, any way and anywhere. At Ericsson we truly understand how new standards and industry technologies should best be implemented and applied to benefit both the operator and consumer. That is why we’ve responded by pioneering another first in adopting and implementing HEVC specifically for mobile use.”

HEVC is the latest video coding standards activity, developed by the Joint Collaborative Team-Video Coding (JCT-VC), a collaborative project between the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IECE Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). It was issued as a Draft International Standard in July 2012. Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) is due January 2013, which is the start of formal ratification.