Sharper discs coming our way with MPEG-4 H.264 AVC

[Deciazulado]

Blu-ray, HD DVD Encoder Sharpens Image

Thomson's Technicolor Content Services division rolled out Monday an encoding system for high-quality compression of high-definition video for use in HD DVD and Blu-ray disc products.
TIGER AVC, co-developed by Thomson Corporate Research laboratories and Technicolor, is an optical disc compression tool that supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray high-definition DVD formats. Technicolor will use the technology in-house to support post production for movie studios.

"We developed many new algorithms to get the quality we're trying to achieve," said Jeffrey Cooper, general manager for Thomson Corporate Research. "Think of compression standards like a toolbox with hundreds of tools."

Developing the compression technology required tradeoffs. It took Technicolor and Thomson more than a year to develop the 50 algorithms required to achieve the perfect picture quality. The video encoding technology is based on MPEG4-H.264/AVC.

[hmurchison]

Let's hope so. VC-1 is kicking the bejeebus out of AVC right now.

[theknub]

where is it doing this?

[Ascended_Saiyan]

Originally Posted by theknub

where is it doing this?

LOL! Good question!

[theknub]

seriously, i haven't heard of a bad review of AVC especially compared to VC-1

[shido]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Let's hope so. VC-1 is kicking the bejeebus out of AVC right now.

This is only pure speculation on your part until you provide some actual evidence of this.

[PeterTHX]

??? AVC is right up there with VC-1 (and MPEG2 for that matter).

I just hope that this isn't some kind of new edge enhancement, which was the bane of many a DVD. One thing the new HD versions got rid of for the most part was edge enhancement.

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Let's hope so. VC-1 is kicking the bejeebus out of AVC right now.

Your arguments are getting more lowbrow I see.

[Deciazulado]

Yeah, specially when he posted the same news on the hd dvd forum even before me..

http://forum.hd-dvd.com/showthread.php?t=117

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by shido

This is only pure speculation on your part until you provide some actual evidence of this.

Ok here's something a 3rd grader could do.

Go count the amount of AVC movies delivered in the US and then count the amount of VC-1 movies. Do a good job and I might give you the gold "Star" sticker for your good deed.

Originally Posted by Knight-Errant

Your arguments are getting more lowbrow I see.

Thought I'd visit your neighborhood for a change


I echo Joe Kane's sentiments. AVC will eventually usurp VC-1 if they mature their tools enough. AVC really has some nice controls for tweaking the video that just need better authoring support from what I hear.

Both codecs are better in this range (sub 20Mbps) than MPEG2

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Yeah, specially when he posted the same news on the hd dvd forum even before me..

http://forum.hd-dvd.com/showthread.php?t=117

Good to know where this bloke is coming from. Obviously, over here, there has to be a negative spin placed on this at all costs because this is just too good for Blu-ray and too bad for HD DVD. FanBoyism, what a disease.

[hmurchison]

I happen to like AVC but I"m a bit distressed by how slow the MPEGLA is in getting it working.

Microsoft has always been faster at getting their product utilized despite the fact that AVC has the potential to do even better.

So to clarify

I'm an AVC fan
Im surprised by how they're letting MS walk over them with VC-1

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

I happen to like AVC but I"m a bit distressed by how slow the MPEGLA is in getting it working.

Well maybe it is because since they might feel they have a superior codec they're taking their own sweet time instead of rushing. Kind of what sometimes I sense is Sony's attitude about some aspects of the Blu-ray launch.

"There will be no AVCs before their time"

Well, hurry up then!


I find it interesting that Paramount chose AVC for U2's Rattle and Hum HD DVD (according from what I've read) to handle the grain instead of VC-1

Would love to hear the views of the compressionist about that!

[Paper]

I've tried MPEG-4 H.264 AVC from x264. Even though H 264 takes a lot of processing power, it's well worth the wait. I was very impressed by the picture quality for the resulting file size.

I have never used VC-1 but I will be sure to test it.

I can see MPEG-4 H.264 AVC having a good future

[PurpleAardvark]

Wow here we go again. VC-1 better than AVC? Huh WTF, paper the HD fanboy never used VC-1? Did I have to much of the happy tree before reading this?
Here you go lets put some light into this little thread. VC-1 was rushed to the market still having bugs and flaws. It is a pure MS play for HD content. It is a low bit rate codec. This is why HD DVD uses it. That is why there are more VC-1 titles (mostly HD DVD).
The AVC codec movies I have seen have all been great, not a bad one yet. VC-1 there are plenty of sub par. So stating VC-1 IS better than AVC because it has more titles out is a wrong statement. Quanity doesn't equal Quaility. Toshiba doesn't get this, and it seems like the HD fanboys don't get it either. Wow I though we just started a thread about logical debate. This is defently not fact. The amount of HD DVD propagand I have seen makes me sick. Please, I have know problem with resonable debate but this is not it. If you have some type of fact or basis for your statements then please post it. I bet I can find at least 10 to 15 sources that would prove AVC is better. I am sure anyone could. Heck MPEG2 is better than VC-1. YOu want to go by numbers in titles top MPEG2. If you can find more VC-1 titles than I can find MPEG2 titles I will give you $100. Prove me wrong please. However if you take this wager and I prove you wrong you owe me $100, wait I will give you 2:1 odds ham. make it $50 we got a bet.

[PeterTHX]

Purple, you know me as anything but a HD fanboy but I have to disagree with you on this one.

VC-1 was not rushed to market. It is merely the SMPTE name of Windows Media 9, which has been around for a few years now. I'm glad its part of the BD spec because it can and does look great.

I'm not thrilled with AVC. I think it requires way too much computing power for what it does compared to MPEG2 and VC-1.

[thunderhawk]

True, let's not forget VC-1 is a 'spinoff' (well they continued research) of the Microsoft MPEG-4 Version 3 that was in development before the DivX format was released to the world...

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

EDIT:Huh, how did my reply end up attributed to Deci?

What happened is the same thing that happened to Clark Kent's diet Pepsi can the first time he saw Lana talking to another guy

You were reading my post and decided to quote it and went to press the quote button but didn't see the spanking brand new edit button beside it that appeared after the radioactive Icespider bit you and you pressed it instead.

Don't worry I fixed it

We can even say "The incident didn't even occur"- General Gogol in the JB movies

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

I find it interesting that Paramount chose AVC for U2's Rattle and Hum HD DVD (according from what I've read) to handle the grain instead of VC-1

Would love to hear the views of the compressionist about that!

That's what I heard as well. I am also very interested in hearing some real inside information on that. It may shed some true light.

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

I'm not thrilled with AVC. I think it requires way too much computing power for what it does compared to MPEG2 and VC-1.

Why does that matter if it gets the job done and possibly does it better?

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Let's hope so. VC-1 is kicking the bejeebus out of AVC right now.

Well, DirecTV is moving to Mpeg4 (H.264), and I see video cameras coming out that record in Mpeg4 and burn to Blu-ray, so who's getting what kicked by whom? Where is VC-1 in these areas?

[PurpleAardvark]

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

Well, DirecTV is moving to Mpeg4 (H.264), and I see video cameras coming out that record in Mpeg4 and burn to Blu-ray, so who's getting what kicked by whom? Where is VC-1 in these areas?

Easy answer flushed down the craper. Were it belongs. I VC-1 was rush to the market for HD content on media (BD and HD DVD's), not computer. Yes it still has bugs, and it is still a low bit rate codec. Like stated above who cares about computing power it takes for AVC? I know peter you are not a fanboy I will give you that any time. Your opion is your opion. I will have to respectfully disagree with it however.