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Codecs & Compression

4K Ultra HD Codecs & Compression Standards

HDTV Expert - SMPTE Fall Technology Conference: UHDTV Symposium - Pete Putman

The SMPTE Fall Technology Conference featured a one-day technical symposium on next-generation image formats, including a presentation titled 'UHDTV: The Big Picture on Bigger Pictures' examining Ultra High Definition Television technology. The symposium addressed the broader landscape of pixel density, image quality, and format advancements, separating verified technical claims from speculation. Attendees gained practical insight into where UHDTV stands relative to competing next-gen formats and what those differences mean for real-world display and broadcast applications.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Home Theater Streaming HD Codecs & Compression

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #588: Netflix SuperHD

Netflix SuperHD delivers 1080p streaming at 7Mbps using MPEG-4 compression, which the authors calculate as roughly equivalent to a 9-11Mbps MPEG-2 signal, placing it near over-the-air HD quality on a multicast channel. Supported devices include PlayStation 3, Apple TV, Roku, and TiVo Premiere, but access requires an ISP participating in the Open Connect network. Picture quality tested noticeably better than DVD and comparable to some broadcast TV channels, though short of Blu-ray, with Dolby Digital audio tracks performing impressively close to disc-based counterparts.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Blu-ray Review: Conan the Barbarian
Blu-ray Home Theater Codecs & Compression

Blu-ray Review: Conan the Barbarian

The 2011 Conan the Barbarian Blu-ray delivers a reference-quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track with a 5.0-star dynamic range and subwoofer performance, though dialog intelligibility suffers noticeably against the heavy action mix. Video is encoded in MPEG-4 AVC at 1080p with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, earning 4.6 stars for strong clarity, minimal film grain, and accurate skin tones despite a deliberate bronze color grade. The disc rewards home theater enthusiasts looking to stress-test their audio setup, even if the film itself is more entertaining for its unintentional humor than its storytelling.

The HT Guys •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: The Eagle
Blu-ray Codecs & Compression Home Theater

Blu-ray Review: The Eagle

The Eagle arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that delivers standout bass performance, from horse hooves to tribal drums, alongside a sharp MPEG-4 AVC 1080p encode at 2.35:1 that renders fine skin and leather detail despite minor compression artifacts and a deliberate green tint. Bonus features include both theatrical and unrated cuts, an audio commentary, and a notably stronger alternate ending. Viewers seeking a moody, character-driven Roman-era adventure will find the technical presentation largely justifies the format upgrade.

The HT Guys •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Hobo with a Shotgun
Blu-ray Home Theater Codecs & Compression

Blu-ray Review: Hobo with a Shotgun

Hobo with a Shotgun arrives on Blu-ray encoded in MPEG-4 AVC at 1080p with a 2.41:1 aspect ratio, delivering surprisingly vibrant visuals with strong compression scores (5.0/5) and excellent skin tone reproduction despite intentional high film grain. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track features a synthesizer-heavy soundtrack with punchy bass, though dialog occasionally gets buried by a hot mix that opens up considerably in the third act. Viewers who appreciate grindhouse-style filmmaking will find a well-rounded disc with an extensive bonus package, including a 45-minute making-of featurette and dual commentary tracks.

The HT Guys •
Reviews
Blu-ray Streaming HD Codecs & Compression

Streaming Inflation

Streaming video at 2-5 Mbps versus Blu-ray's 30+ Mbps transfer rate represents a significant quality gap that becomes apparent on large screens at proper viewing distances, particularly given that many streaming services deliver lossy stereo audio rather than lossless formats. A key technical nuance often overlooked is that 720p/60fps actually requires 12% more bandwidth than 1080p/24fps (55M vs. 49M pixels per second), making frame rate as critical as resolution when evaluating format efficiency. For viewers prioritizing convenience on small screens or at extended viewing distances, streaming serves as a practical alternative, but those with large displays and quality-focused setups will find the compression trade-offs difficult to ignore.

Rodolfo La Maestra •
Articles
Blu-ray Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Blu-ray Codecs & Compression Home Theater

Blu-ray Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that delivers reference-quality subwoofer performance and surround effects, earning a near-perfect 4.9-star audio score. The MPEG-4 AVC 1080p encode at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio excels in shadow detail and skin tone accuracy despite the film's predominantly dark color palette. Bonus content is substantial, including a Picture-in-Picture Maximum Movie Mode and eight deleted scenes, making this a strong purchase for both fans and home theater enthusiasts.

The HT Guys •
Reviews
Codecs & Compression

Telairity BE8500 Hot-Switchable HD/SD H.264 Encoder Introduced at HD World

The Telairity BE8500 is a 1-RU H.264/AVC encoder that hot-switches between HD/SDI and SD/SDI sources without powering down, auto-sensing the incoming signal format for virtually instantaneous switchover. Powered by the proprietary TVP2000 video processor at 50 billion operations per second, it delivers encode latencies as low as 150ms and supports both the low-latency Series 7000 and 500Kbps low-bit-rate Series 9000 configurations. Broadcasters running mixed HD and SD workflows in mobile production trucks, OB vans, or IPTV deployments can consolidate both encoding needs into a single cost-effective unit.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Corel® WinDVD® Pro 2010 Delivers the Ultimate Blu-ray and DVD Playback Experience on the PC
Blu-ray Home Theater OTA Set-Top Boxes (STBs)

Corel® WinDVD® Pro 2010 Delivers the Ultimate Blu-ray and DVD Playback Experience on the PC

Corel WinDVD Pro 2010 is a Blu-ray and DVD playback application supporting 1080p output, BD-Live interactivity, and audio formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The release introduces GPU-based SD-to-HD upscaling via Trimension All2HD technology, CPU and GPU optimizations for faster playback, and battery life improvements on Windows Vista and Windows 7. Users gain hands-on control through Windows Touch integration, making this a technically broad upgrade for home theater PC setups.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Codecs & Compression

DivX Signs License Agreement With Panasonic for Next-Generation DivX Plus(TM) HD Technology

DivX has signed a license agreement with Panasonic to integrate DivX Plus HD technology into Panasonic's UniPhier semiconductor chip series, enabling playback of H.264 video in the MKV container at resolutions up to 1080p on Blu-ray disc players, digital TVs, and in-car players. The agreement extends a partnership dating back to 2005 and covers support for .mkv files with AAC audio, whether encoded via DivX 7 software or third-party tools. For consumers, this means a broader range of CE devices will natively handle high-definition MKV content without additional software or conversion.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Blu-ray Home Theater HD Receivers

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast #383 - How To, Home Audio Connections

Podcast episode 383 tackles the practical challenge of routing audio codecs such as Dolby Digital and DTS through home theater receivers connected to DVD and Blu-ray players. Listener questions drive a focused breakdown of how mismatched audio format expectations between source devices and receivers are resolved in real-world setups. Understanding these codec handshake scenarios can save hours of troubleshooting when configuring a multi-component home theater system.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Blu-ray Streaming HD Codecs & Compression

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast #322 - Indiana Jones on Blu-ray and Vudu HDX

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Blu-ray delivers 1080p MPEG-4 AVC video with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio, where the audio performance stands out as the clear highlight, with the film's mixer Ronald Judkins leveraging all surround channels to immersive effect. Vudu's HDX format, offering 1080p at 24 fps with 640 Kbps audio and artifact-free compression, was tested against Blu-ray across three titles and proved nearly indistinguishable in video quality, though audio fell short of TrueHD. Viewers investing in a capable home theater receiver will find both formats rewarding, but download times of four or more hours make advance planning essential for HDX rentals.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Standards Codecs & Compression

ATSC Adopts Standard for Advanced Video Coding

The Advanced Television Systems Committee has approved A/72, a two-part standard defining how H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 (AVC) video coding is implemented within ATSC DTV transmissions, including compression format constraints, low delay and still picture modes, and CEA-708 closed caption carriage in AVC bit streams. The standard also establishes a foundation for emerging ATSC specifications such as ATSC-M/H for mobile and handheld delivery and ATSC-NRT for non-real-time content download. For broadcasters and device manufacturers, A/72 enables more efficient video compression across both established and next-generation digital television platforms.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Blu-ray Codecs & Compression

Panasonic to Release DivX Certified Blu-ray DVD Player

Panasonic's DMP-BD30EG/EE Blu-ray Disc player has earned DivX Certification, making it the first DivX Certified Blu-ray player slated for release in Europe and Russia beginning March 2008. The certification requires passing a rigorous interoperability and visual quality testing program, ensuring reliable DivX video playback on a next-generation BD platform. For consumers in those regions, this means access to the widely adopted DivX format on Blu-ray hardware, extending a codec already established as a de-facto standard on conventional DVD players.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Codecs & Compression

Newbie's Corner - A Compression Primer

Video compression codecs, from MPEG-2 adopted for DVD and ATSC broadcasts to MPEG-4 derivatives like H.264 and VC-1, are what make HDTV practical by reducing file sizes to manageable levels. MPEG-4 delivers comparable quality to MPEG-2 at roughly half the bitrate, while Blu-ray supports up to 40 Mbps combined audio and video versus the 8-12 Mbps that causes visible quality degradation in over-compressed broadcasts. Understanding the difference between lossless and lossy compression helps viewers recognize why broadcast HDTV can look inferior to disc-based sources.

The HT Guys •
Columns