V-Nova P.Link raises the bar for contribution encoding with Machine Learning
April 4, 2018
V-Nova, a provider of video compression solutions, today announced that it has added Machine Learning capabilities at the core of its PERSEUS Pro codec, which powers the P.Link Dual UHD/8HD video encoder and decoder. The new addition represents the deepest application of machine learning in compression today.
By 2020, it is predicted that video will account for roughly 80% of all Internet traffic, 20% of which will be Ultra HD.[1] This demand for higher definition video, delivered over existing network infrastructure, is placing more strain on operators and their network providers, who desperately need efficient codecs to avoid costly upgrades to their connections.
Guido Meardi, CEO and co-founder at V-Nova, said: “P.Link and the PERSEUS Pro codec that powers it had already revolutionized the contribution space by enabling studio-quality, intra-only HD and UHD at vastly lower bitrates than existing solutions. With our machine-learning advances, we’re now able to deliver visually lossless UHD at just 140Mbps, which is comparable with what many operators are currently using to deliver HD.
Inherently free from blocking artefacts, temporal dragging or aliasing, PERSEUS Pro already redefines contribution encoding with huge efficiency gains over J2K and MPEG4 solutions. By incorporating Machine Learning and more specifically, Convolutional Neural Networks into its unique multiscale approach, PERSEUS Pro has been trained to identify common video features such as edges and curves. By identifying those features across the various layers, the amount of residual data required for reconstruction is reduced and allows PERSEUS Pro to deliver a truly accurate picture, even at lower bitrates.
PERSEUS Pro with Machine Learning has been implemented into V-Nova’s P.Link encoder/decoder hardware. Available for integration into any contribution or production workflow, P.Link enables the TV & Media industry to realise vast cost savings in bandwidth or quality upgrades across a range of use-cases including remote production, live event contribution and site-to-site links. P.Link allows high density HD & UHD bi-directional flexibility, features dynamic multiplexing to further optimise the delivery of multiple concurrent feeds, and includes HDR support as standard.