Video Encoding, Codec & Transcoding News

Matrox Video and Amagi announced an integration of the Matrox ORIGIN software-defined framework into Amagi’s next-generation cloud production architecture for broadcasters and media companies. The companies say the integration is intended to enable scalable, dynamically orchestrated cloud workflows and support transitions away from legacy hardware-based broadcast infrastructure, aligning with emerging models such as the Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) initiative.

MainConcept highlights its Multiview HEVC Encoder SDK, which provides reference-quality MV-HEVC encoding for immersive video, supporting both dependency-based and symmetrical quality distribution across views. The SDK is integrated into professional tools like Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve and Colorfront's transcoding tools for creators preparing content for Apple Immersive Video. This aims to establish a consistent quality standard for spatial content delivery as the new medium evolves.

MXL is presented as a solution for software-defined media processing, aimed at transitioning from hardware-based pipelines. This technology enables flexible, low-latency, and interoperable workflows for video processing.

Open Broadcast Systems describes adding support for transporting and decoding more than 16 audio channels (e.g., 32 channels) within an ST 2110 IP workflow, addressing the legacy SDI-derived 16-channel limit common in many encoder/decoder designs. The post argues that many existing ST 2110 implementations retain embedded hardware constraints (DSP/CPU/FPGA resource limits), forcing workarounds like duplicating video feeds to carry additional languages. Open Broadcast Systems states its software-based low-latency encoders/decoders can handle higher channel counts without the extra video-feed approach.

SDVI announced an integration between its Rally media supply chain management platform and Media-Anywhere’s AirFrame to enable frame-accurate editing directly on high-resolution media stored in Amazon S3. The integration targets Rally users working in Adobe Premiere Pro, aiming to reduce delays, proxy creation, and duplicate file handling by allowing editors to work on original files from cloud storage via a new plugin in the Rally Access panel.

Nokia publishes an overview of its multimedia R&D and standardization work, highlighting contributions to next-generation video coding (including VVC), learned/hybrid compression techniques, and tools for error-resilient streaming under packet loss and congestion. The page also covers immersive media technologies such as MPEG-related volumetric/point-cloud coding, OMAF for immersive/360 video distribution, and 3GPP Release 18 Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codecs and formats for low-delay spatial audio.

SMPTE published an event page for a webcast on how encoding efficiency and ultra-low-latency techniques combine across the end-to-end live streaming workflow, with emphasis on interactive use cases such as sports and betting. The session, presented by Victoria Tuzova (Elecard), covers codec and GOP choices, encoder behavior, ABR logic, delivery architectures, and monitoring/feedback loops aimed at achieving sub-second streaming at scale.

This article details how MPEG-5 LCEVC enhances existing video codecs, providing 30-55% bitrate reductions across various established standards and reducing transcoding costs. It highlights Brazil's TV 3.0 (DTV+) initiative as the first national broadcast standard to mandate LCEVC, achieving 4K HDR at under 10 Mbps by combining VVC with LCEVC. The technology's application also extends to streaming, pay TV, cloud gaming, and ATSC 3.0 deployments in the US.

MPEG-5 LCEVC is presented as an enhancement layer for existing codecs (H.264, HEVC, AV1, VVC), offering bitrate reductions of 30-55% based on independent validation from MPEG, IEEE, and ACM studies. This approach allows for incremental codec adoption and efficiency gains without requiring wholesale infrastructure replacement, with Brazil's TV 3.0 (DTV+) national broadcast standard mandating LCEVC alongside VVC for 4K HDR delivery.

Netflix reports that as of Jan. 26, 2026 it has switched all Netflix Live event encodes from CBR to capped VBR (using AWS Elemental MediaLive QVBR), requiring updates to capacity planning and traffic-steering to account for bitrate variability. Netflix says A/B tests across multiple live events showed roughly 15% fewer bytes transferred on average, about 10% lower peak-minute traffic, and about 5% fewer rebuffers per hour after adjusting server admission control to reserve capacity based on nominal bitrates and tuning the VBR bitrate ladder to match CBR quality using VMAF. The company also outlines next steps including incorporating upcoming segment sizes into client ABR logic and refining capacity reservation with variability-informed discounts.

Nevion launched Moxela, a software-based media processing platform designed to run on COTS servers or in the cloud as part of its Networked Live ecosystem. The platform targets broadcast facilities, contribution networks, and remote/cloud production, supporting SMPTE ST 2110, NDI, and the Media Exchange Layer (MXL) for real-time in-memory exchange of uncompressed media and metadata. Nevion also cites alignment with emerging guidelines such as the EBU Digital Media Facility (DMF) to support vendor and infrastructure independence.

TAG Video Systems is collaborating with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to make TAG’s monitoring and related product suite available on the OCI platform. The integration adds a production-validated monitoring stack for OCI-based workflows, targeting end-to-end IP signal visibility and scalable compute for always-on live broadcast workloads, with joint support for customers migrating from on-prem or other clouds.

Streaming Learning Center describes SLC Bitrate Explorer, a Windows and macOS tool aimed at encoding engineers and QA teams for verifying test encodes before production. The software supports analysis of H.264, HEVC, VP9, and AV1 files, providing codec/bitstream parameter inspection, bitrate and frame-structure visualization, and objective quality metrics (VMAF, PSNR, SSIM), along with BD-Rate and cost breakeven calculations. The article outlines trial and free-tier limitations, paid licensing, and download links for platform-specific builds.

coralbay.tv updated its cloud-native coralPlay playout pipeline to support UHD 4K 2160p (BT.2100) and HDR workflows, including HLG at 50 and 59.94 fps, plus built-in HDR-to-SDR and SDR-to-HDR conversion. The release adds 10- and 12-bit color depth support and performance optimizations (AVX2/AVX512, GPU acceleration for encoding and HTML graphics rendering), with the company citing UHD channel operation on an Amazon EC2 g4dn instance using as few as five CPU cores.

SDVI announced it will demonstrate updates to its Rally media supply chain management platform at the 2026 NAB Show, aimed at supporting higher-volume processing, broader distribution, and faster time-to-market. The company plans to showcase an expanded Rally Connect distribution network with additional streaming endpoints and MovieLabs multilocale delivery support, plus new integrations for AI-driven ad break detection, speech translation/voice synthesis, language identification/audio remapping, subtitle modification, and workorder management. SDVI will also preview upcoming next-generation Rally platform innovations, with details to be announced later.

The article reports that Google has introduced an AI-driven, neural-network-based compression approach aimed at reducing file sizes beyond traditional algorithms, with claimed benefits for images and video and potential cost savings in storage and bandwidth. It argues that, if deployed at scale across services like Google Cloud and YouTube, improved compression could lower streaming and data-transmission requirements, while raising practical issues around compute cost, device compatibility, and industry standardization.

NETINT's "2026 State of Video Encoding" report, based on a survey of 286 professionals, highlights key trends including the diversification away from GPU-only hardware for encoding, the increasing adoption of the AV1 codec with a projected 231% growth rate, and the integration of AI/ML into core encoding workflows. It also identifies organizational barriers like budget constraints and team capacity as primary blockers, alongside a significant portion of the market lacking formalized Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) methodology, and the emergence of hybrid software/hardware solutions for large-scale operations.

V-Nova outlines a five-step operational playbook for Pay-TV operators to evaluate and deploy MPEG-5 LCEVC as an enhancement layer alongside existing codecs (e.g., AVC/HEVC) to improve compression efficiency while maintaining backward compatibility. The guide covers selecting LCEVC-ready encoder and set-top-box/chipset vendors, enabling encoder support, confirming STB playback via firmware/library integration, carrying LCEVC through existing headend workflows (including CAS/DRM and ad insertion), and running lab validation, pilot trials, and staged rollouts. It cites vendor ecosystem support (including Ateme, Harmonic, MainConcept, Realtek, Amlogic, Montage LZ) and references Brazil’s TV 3.0 receiver profile including LCEVC as mandatory.

UK-based CoSTAR National Lab has partnered with experience technology company Magnopus to explore convergent media production that links physical and digital spaces for audience experiences. The collaboration provides CoSTAR access to Magnopus’ OKO spatial intelligence platform, which supports persistent cross-reality environments across VR headsets, AR apps, and web browsers via the open-source Connected Spaces Platform and Magnopus Cloud Services. The article also notes Magnopus’ prior interactive projects with Amazon MGM Studios/Kilter Films ("The World of Fallout") and with Epic Games in Fortnite.

NEP Group announced the commercial launch of NEP Platform, a software orchestration solution intended to improve interoperability across media production applications and integrate into customer infrastructures. The platform unifies production functions such as vision and audio mixing, replay, multiview, and measurement, supporting applications from vendors including Bridge Technologies, Calrec, Grass Valley, Lawo, Manifold, Panasonic, and Sony. NEP says the system enables faster configuration, resource allocation and scaling, and includes security features such as vulnerability scanning, access controls, and version/configuration validation.

This technical post describes implementing pull-based audio/video streaming loops using Swift structured concurrency and GStreamer appsinks, including real-time software pacing, startup buffering via a burst phase, and maintainability via a “state-struct” pattern. It details queue-pressure-aware startup boost logic, transport buffer sizing, PTS resolution/interpolation (including fallback to frame-count timelines for problematic audio timestamps), and startup gating rules such as keyframe requirements and audio/video alignment. The article also covers Annex B to AVCC conversion for Apple VideoToolbox compatibility, audio packet coalescing to reduce per-packet overhead, and detection of realtime transcoding failure based on achieved pacing ratio.

NETINT Technologies argues that latency-sensitive workloads (interactive streaming, cloud gaming, real-time applications) push video transcoding closer to end users, making distributed transcoding a core architectural requirement rather than an optimization. The article describes how purpose-built VPUs can reduce per-site power, space, and capacity-planning uncertainty, and positions i3D.net’s multi-location infrastructure footprint as a deployment layer for running transcoding in regional sites with tight latency budgets. It also notes ongoing operational constraints for distributed deployments, including network variability and regional regulatory/import considerations (e.g., NIS2).

Thailand-based streaming service TrueVisions Now selected Bitmovin Observability to provide video analytics and monitoring across its supported devices, including mobile, smart TVs, and TrueID set-top boxes. The implementation includes integration with TrueVisions Now’s data warehouse and is intended to provide real-time session-level insights, error debugging, alerts, and monetization telemetry to help identify and resolve playback issues.

Mnemonica has launched Mnemonica TRE, a platform combining its Production and Archive products to unify active production workflows with long-term asset management and distribution preparation. The newly commercialized Archive service provides a centralized, searchable title hub for versions and master packages (including DCP, IMF, and ProRes), integrates metadata from The Movie Database, and supports format integrity validation and in-platform KDM creation/exchange. TRE also adds production-side updates such as extended HDR playback support, an overhauled mobile app with full library and delivery management, and a new pro interface with streamlined annotations and faster footage scanning.

The article argues that volumetric 3D has been difficult to deploy in broadcast and streaming because dynamic, non-tracked meshes are hard to compress predictably and require costly CPU↔GPU data movement, adding latency and limiting real-time scalability. It highlights an ISO approach called Video-based Dynamic Mesh Compression (V-DMC), which maps time-varying mesh detail into 2D video frames to leverage existing hardware-accelerated video decoding on GPUs. The piece claims V-DMC can substantially improve compression efficiency (citing 250:1 to 300:1) and improve interoperability, potentially enabling more practical live and on-demand volumetric media workflows for XR and broadcast use cases.

Telestream has enhanced its EDC product to incorporate "content intelligence." This update aims to improve video processing by moving beyond a traditional encode-and-hope approach.

Wasabi Technologies posted a link to a new blog describing how Wasabi and Qencode work together to streamline modern video processing pipelines. The post positions the collaboration as an integration between Wasabi’s storage services and Qencode’s video encoding/transcoding workflow.

Appear announced Appear XM, a self-hosted (Docker-based) centralized estate management tool for monitoring, configuring, onboarding, and maintaining fleets of Appear chassis from a single interface. The product includes role-based access control, inventory and health dashboards, bulk software upgrades with locally stored images, license management, alarm summaries, and export of configuration/inventory/log artifacts. Appear XM is available to customers with a valid SLA support subscription and can be deployed in unlimited instances per supported customer.

Limecraft released Limecraft 2026.2, updating its AI-powered cloud production platform with template-based AAF export intended to standardize and simplify editorial handoffs without engineering support. The release also adds transcription workflow upgrades, including disfluency filtering, adjustable speaker diarisation sensitivity, and AI-assisted transcript post-editing, alongside smaller delivery, access-control, and robustness improvements (including Limecraft Edge). A live webinar demonstrating the update is scheduled for 19 March 2026.

Broadpeak introduced a new “multi-package multiview” solution for live streaming that assembles multiview combinations at the packaging layer rather than pre-encoding each layout, aiming to retain broad device compatibility while reducing compute compared with traditional server-side multi-encode approaches. The approach requires HEVC inputs/outputs (with optional H.264-to-HEVC transcoding for inputs) and is offered as licensed software, SaaS, or a fully managed service; Broadpeak says projects are underway and operator interest is strongest in the US. The article also describes planned integration with dynamic ad insertion, favoring full-screen ads for multiview experiences.

NETINT argues that scaling transcoding on general-purpose CPU instances creates a compounding “compute trap” driven by compute growth, energy/density constraints, egress costs, and operational complexity. The article presents a reference architecture combining NETINT Quadra T1U VPU-accelerated transcoding with Akamai Distributed Cloud services (including Accelerated Compute, Media Services Live, and Adaptive Media Delivery) and cites benchmarks claiming 4–6x better watts-per-stream efficiency and egress as low as $0.005/GB. It also states the approach can be deployed via Kubernetes worker nodes and Terraform to fit modern CI/CD workflows.

NETINT argues that large-scale streaming platforms relying on general-purpose CPU compute face a compounding cost "compute trap" driven by compute scaling, power/density limits, egress fees, and operational complexity. The article presents a reference architecture combining NETINT Quadra VPUs for transcoding with Akamai Distributed Cloud services (Accelerated Compute, Media Services Live, and Adaptive Media Delivery) to reduce watts-per-stream and lower compute-to-delivery egress costs. It cites published and vendor benchmarks claiming roughly 4–6x better energy efficiency versus CPU/GPU approaches and egress pricing as low as $0.005/GB when compute and delivery are aligned within Akamai’s infrastructure.

Mux announces the Video.js v10.0.0 beta, describing a ground-up rewrite that unifies work across Video.js, Plyr, Vidstack, and Media Chrome with a focus on smaller bundles and a more composable architecture for web video players. The post highlights an 88% reduction in the default bundle size versus Video.js v8 and introduces SPF (Streaming Processor Framework), a modular streaming engine approach that can significantly reduce ABR (e.g., HLS) footprint for simpler use cases. Mux notes that Mux Player users should not migrate yet, with feature parity and migration guidance targeted for mid-2026 and GA aimed for mid-2026, with ads support planned later in 2026.

Telestream highlights its DIVA and Vantage AI solutions, which enable modernization of legacy media during archive migration. These tools enrich content with metadata and searchable transcripts, allowing for secure and scalable migration.

Ateme has signed a multi-year agreement with Netflix to deploy Ateme’s TITAN Live transcoder to support Netflix’s live streaming workflows. The TITAN Live solution provides real-time, bandwidth-efficient encoding across multiple codecs, with quality optimization measured using objective metrics such as VMAF and supported by subjective assessments to reduce visual artifacts.

The article describes an industry shift in live video encoding from bitrate-targeted control (CBR/VBR) to quality-targeted modes (e.g., capped CRF, AWS Elemental QVBR, Harmonic EyeQ) and toward explicit perceptual metrics computed during encoding. It highlights vendor approaches that use real-time VMAF-class metrics for monitoring and, in some cases, closed-loop rate control—citing Synamedia’s pVMAF integrated into QC-VBR and MainConcept’s VMAF-E designed to run inside the rate control loop—while noting Meta’s upstream FFmpeg work enables real-time metrics computation without publicly claiming metric-driven rate control. The piece also references Ateme’s VMAF-tuned/validated positioning and a reported Netflix deployment of Ateme TITAN Live for live streaming workflows.

Ateme announced a multi-year agreement with Netflix under which Netflix will deploy Ateme’s TITAN Live transcoder to support its live streaming workflows. The TITAN Live platform is positioned to provide real-time, bandwidth-efficient encoding across multiple codec formats and includes quality measurement using metrics such as VMAF.

Meta has deprecated its internal FFmpeg fork after collaborating with the open-source community to add key features to the main project. The newly added capabilities, inspired by Meta's internal work, include efficient threaded multi-lane transcoding and real-time quality metric computation during encoding. The company states it will continue to maintain internal-only patches for its custom Meta Scalable Video Processor (MSVP) transcoding ASIC due to its hardware-specific nature.

NETINT Technologies launched its "VPU Ecosystem" initiative, a global network of partners, architectures, and deployments for its video processing units (VPUs). This ecosystem aims to provide the "open market" with a deployment system for scalable and cost-efficient video encoding, enabling it to compete with "walled gardens" that develop proprietary silicon. The initiative includes validation of partners across cloud, software, hardware, and infrastructure to integrate NETINT VPUs into various stages of the video pipeline, from ingest to delivery.

NETINT Technologies has detailed its 'VPU Ecosystem,' a network of partners providing validated architectures and production deployments for its Video Processing Unit (VPU) technology. This ecosystem aims to enable the 'Open Market' to achieve architectural efficiency comparable to 'Walled Gardens' that develop proprietary silicon, addressing challenges posed by modern codecs and rising infrastructure costs.

Samsung's new S26 Ultra smartphone now supports the AVP codec for 8K/30 resolution, a codec the company had developed for future phone use. This marks an implementation of the pro-quality codec previously reported in 2023.

AWS describes an asynchronous, software-defined live media processing architecture using the Matrox ORIGIN framework to maintain deterministic, frame-accurate timing in cloud-based broadcast workflows. The post explains ORIGIN’s “grain”-based timing model, stateless control tracks, and a distributed “Media Fabric” transport layer to enable horizontal scaling, rolling upgrades, and cross–Availability Zone failover without direct component-to-component synchronization. Matrox reports scaling a distributed live mixer on AWS from 10 to over 110 concurrent uncompressed 1080p50 inputs on Amazon EKS using EC2, EFA/RDMA, Amazon Time Sync Service, and monitoring services while maintaining consistent latency and sub-frame synchronization.

Beamr Imaging has renewed its contract with major streaming platform JioHotstar, which uses Beamr’s Content-Adaptive Bitrate (CABR) technology across its large catalog of premium and sports content. The deal underpins JioHotstar’s use of Beamr to cut storage and bandwidth costs by an estimated 30–50% while maintaining video quality, and highlights Beamr’s broader work on cost-effective 4K live streaming and AI-powered quality enhancement for media customers. Beamr notes that it has recently renewed contracts with several major media and entertainment clients and supports deployments across on-premises and public cloud environments such as AWS and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

Broadpeak has introduced its Multiview solution, which enables broadcasters and streaming providers to deliver multi-stream and multi-angle live sports experiences from a single packaged stream. By combining video feeds at the packager level after encoding, the system reduces encoder-side processing and avoids requiring additional capabilities on end-user devices, aiming to improve cost and streaming efficiency at scale.

Qencode has joined the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) as a Promoter-level member, contributing its video encoding, streaming, and storage expertise to the Video Codec Working Group responsible for AV1 and AV2. The article highlights AV1’s growing adoption, AV2’s draft status with a full release expected later in the year, and Qencode’s focus on practical deployment and interoperability for next-generation video codecs. AOMedia, backed by major tech and streaming companies, positions this collaboration as part of broader efforts to advance open, royalty-free video standards for internet delivery.

Appear’s X5, X10 and X20 hardware platforms have been officially verified by YouTube for Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) live streaming, enabling low-latency delivery of live content to YouTube. The verification covers Appear’s hardware-based AVC/HEVC encoding and SRT streaming, and is intended to support professional live workflows for news, sports and events while expanding distribution options for broadcasters and rights holders.

The piece argues that general-purpose public cloud infrastructure can be up to 5x more expensive than specialized hardware for certain video workflows, particularly high-density live encoding. It highlights VPUs available at around $0.42 per hour that can support up to 32 simultaneous 1080p30 encodes across AV1, HEVC, and H.264, and cites companies like Arcadian using NETINT hardware to shift heavy video processing off standard cloud instances. The post promotes a hybrid approach where control logic remains in the cloud while compute-intensive video tasks move to optimized infrastructure.

The article argues that for European video platforms, power availability, rack density, and energy costs have become primary constraints on scaling, shifting focus from server count and peak throughput to metrics like watts per stream and sustained streams per kilowatt. It compares CPU-only, hardware-accelerated, and cloud-based encoding architectures, contending that dedicated video acceleration such as NETINT’s Quadra VPU can improve rack-level efficiency, power predictability, and long-term capacity planning in energy-constrained environments.