On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Intel Media corporate VP Erik Huggers told a conference its plans for an over-the-top virtual cable TV service include ITU’s newly-approved HEVC, the new, high-efficiency video compression format (now known as H.265).

With a roughly 2X improvement in bandwidth efficiency over H.264, Intel’s service will have an easier time slipping under ISP’s bandwidth caps than Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Xbox Live, and other current OTT services.

H.265 will also allow Intel to deliver higher-quality HD video over limited bandwidth than Netflix or the others currently deliver. Industry experts speculate H.265 could enable 4K video delivery over IP at about 15 Mb/s. That opens up the possibility that Intel could deliver at least some limited amount of 4K video, which might make Hollywood content owners happy after ramping up 4K production with so few distribution outlets available.

Most STBs lack the processing power to decode H.265 (even if it could be loaded onto the device). By starting from scratch with a new box, Intel may leapfrog current players.

Go Intel Confirms Web TV Ambitions

by Paul Gray, Director of European TV Research, Display Search

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a video compression standard, a successor to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, which will enable improved video quality, double the data compression ratio, and support 8K UHD (resolutions up to 8192×4320).

The ratification of the first draft specification of ITU’s HEVC has been hailed as the dawn of 4Kx2K television. However it is perhaps useful to consider other generations of compression and their effect to evaluate its true significance.

MPEG-2 brought the first mass-market digital video formats (MPEG-1 only ever got brief traction in VCD in Asia), enabling DVD and the first digital broadcasts. However its low compression efficiency also made HD broadcast difficult and only a few countries adopted MPEG-2 HD (Australia, Korea, Japan and the U.S.). Probably its biggest effect was to perfect the VCD concept as DVD.

Without much fan fair, Barco bought one of the leading wireless transmission (wireless high-resolution video and audio) company today for $7.1 million dollars.

Founded in Taiwan in 2003 and employing about 60 people, AWIND technology is used in the majority of the projector manufacturers for wireless video/audio transmission (e.g., Epson, Sharp and Sony).

AWIND's wireless transmission system includes its own branded "black box" hardware, embedded firmware, wireless networking and software for Windows, Mac, Mobile and Linux. The system supports resolutions up 2048x1536.

You may also know AWIND from its USB dongle called WiGA, which allows for video and audio from a Mac or PC via a USB port to a projector or HDTV:

Obviously Barco will leverage AWIND for its ClickShare strategy. This is a good move for Barco since well over 65% of the wireless video and audio transmission systems (without Apple's AirPlay) on the market are using the AWIND technology.

Go Barco's ClickShare

Go AWIND

The mobile industry prepares device launches and announcements as Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 opens on 25 February at its new Fira Gran Via, Barcelona location.

Previous editions of the show took place at Fira Montjuic. The Fira Gran Via location is bigger, with a 240000 square metre area (up from 120000) offering exhibitors 94000 square metres of exhibition space.

Organisers GSMA give no mention of MWC 2013 exhibitor numbers as yet, but MWC 2012 housed around 1500 exhibitors.

As one expects all major industry players have something to show, even on the first day-- from Asus "viral" marketing (CG making the Christopher Colombus statue in Barcelona look like it is holding a phablet) and the glitzy Huawei press conference at former stock exchange Casa Llotje de Mar, to big Firefox OS hopes and partner news from Mozilla and Samsung revealing a launch date for the Galaxy S IV smartphone (14 March, New York).

MWC 2013 passes cost all of €699 at the most basic level-- further access to keynotes and conferences increases prices to up to €4999 for the ultimate Platinum level, which promises "unparalleled networking opportunities and exclusive access to key industry leaders."

Expect much more news from Barcelona as the show goes on from 25 to 28 February 2013.

Go Mobile World Congress

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