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On the sidelines of SparkFun's Autonomous Vehicle Competition (video)
We're a bit torn when we arrive at the Boulder Reservoir, past all the chain-linked signs warning of "potential danger ahead." The organizers of the Autonomous Vehicle Competition are running two separate tracks -- land and air -- and frankly, we don't have the resources to cover both. As the competitors scramble to complete last-minute repairs in the Team Pits area, we approach an employee in a red SparkFun T-shirt, to suss out the best plan of attack. "A lot of the aerial vehicles tend to fail in the first round," she answers, without much deliberation, "so it's probably best to start there." The organizers would've been hard-pressed to have constructed a more beautiful Colorado spring day, as "Come Fly With Me" wafts over the PA while spectators settle into the bleachers and competitors find spots at the edge of the gravel pit. Thirty teams will compete for the $1,000 aerial grand prize. The task: taking off autonomously, staying within the allowed fly zone, dropping a tennis ball onto a thin sliver of land inside the reservoir, ducking beneath a goalpost-like wicket and landing on the same surface from where it took off -- and, as the name implies, all this must be done via a pre-programmed set of instructions without external control. The takeoff, it seems, is the hardest, as the first several competitors are knocked out of the contest, failing to launch in all sorts of spectacular fashions, including fixed-wing aircraft that just can't seem find their way into the clear Colorado sky, sliding along the gravel or twitching mechanically atop the PVC launchpad. When a quadcopter finally manages to lift off successfully, there's an audible sigh of relief amongst the crowd, followed by explosive applause. When it works, it's magic.%Gallery-191668%
MPEG-LA makes H.264 video royalty-free forever, as long as it's freely distributed
The H.264 codec that makes a good deal of digital video possible has actually been free to use (under certain conditions) for many years, but following recent controversies over the future of web video, rightholders have agreed to extend that freedom in perpetuity. Whereas originally standards organization MPEG-LA had said it wouldn't collect royalties from those freely distributing AVC/H.264 video until 2016, the limitless new timeframe may mean that content providers banking on WebM and HTML5 video won't have an expensive surprise in the years to come. Then again, patent licensing is complicated stuff and we'd hate to get your hopes up -- just know that if you're an end-user uploading H.264 content you own and intend to freely share with the world, you shouldn't expect a collection agency to come knocking on your door. PR after the break.
PS3's Torne digital TV tuner / DVR adapter gets 2.00 software update next month
Japan hasn't had a lot of time to get used to the PlayStation 3's Torne digital TV tuner since it launched in March, but it's already getting an update which will add a few more DVR features to improve the experience. Coming in June, v2.00 will enable MPEG-4 AVC compression to squeeze HDTV recordings by as much as 3x their original size as opposed to just copying the original MPEG-2 stream even while playing a game, plus the ability to start watching a program and fast forward/reverse while it's still recording and update the user's PSN status. The free update will be issued in June, until then Torne fans can argue with European and Australian PlayTV owners about whether or not their new features are better than Facebook integration while the U.S. sits out like the ginger kid of a previous marriage it is. %Gallery-93375%
Blu-ray 3D specifications finalized, your PS3 is ready
In case plans by AMD and a slew of other tech vendors planning to showcase 3D Blu-ray compatible products at CES wasn't a tip-off, the updated specifications are done. The key details? First, that the Blu-ray Disc Association has chosen the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec to store 3D, so that even though it is now providing a full 1080p frame for each eye, it will only require about 50% more storage space compared to the 2D version, and all discs will be fully backwards compatible, in 2D, on existing players. Better than backwards compatibility, the PlayStation 3 will be forwards compatible with the new discs -- a new HDTV setup (the spec promises to work with plasmas, LCDs or projectors equally well) with IR emitters and glasses will still be necessary. According to the PR (after the break) we can expect Blu-ray 3D-stickered products in 2010, our only advice is to keep those responsible for the Cowboys Stadium abomination far, far away from it.
Gartner predicts that by 2013, 95 percent of video will be H.264
This is an older report by Gartner that just caught our eye, but we just found the news so refreshing -- and predictable -- that we couldn't pass it up. The long and the short of the $500 report is that H.264 has finally won the codec competition and that in the next few years everything will be encoded with it. Although this makes sense to standardize on a codec going forward, it is hard for us to imagine over-the-air broadcast TV changing from MPEG-2 in the next four years. While it is true that H.264 has been part of the ATSC spec for a few years now, with all that equipment out in the field already it is hard to imagine much of it getting replaced again in the next 10 years, never the less the next four.
MPEG group working on AVC replacement for Ultra High Definition video of the future
The tech around Super Hi-Vision technology may not be completely worked out yet, but with that on the way, plus HD for mobile devices and even more streaming, the 88th meeting of the MPEG/ISO standards group in Maui was apparently a busy one as attendees voted to work on a new, better form of compression to replace MPEG-4 AVC. "High Performance Video Coding" (HVC) is just a dream at the moment, but be sure to pencil that in as one more spec to look out for in the future. Of course, they didn't mention a delivery system for 22.2 channel audio, but we'll just assume that's being handled as well.[Via EE Times UK]
Four new Aquos Blu-ray DVRs on the way from Sharp
Sharp's back again with four more Blu-ray DVRs unlikely to ever see release here in the U.S., but all the rage in Japan. The main upgrade from last year is improved compression, going up to 7x, squeezing HD down to 3.4Mbps MPEG-4 AVC to fit up to 30 hours of HD on each disc. The top of the line BD-HDW40 features 1TB of hardware storage, dual digital TV tuners, 1080p/60 output, BD-Live, and all the oxygen-free copper cabling and anti-vibration tech one would expect, with the other three spec sheets causing predictably lowered paroxysms of pleasure for slightly lower prices.
iriver's 7-inch Framee-L digiframe handles multimedia just fine
It's darn tough to pump out a digiframe that's not immediately forgettable these days, but if anybody can do it, iriver can. The subtly beautiful 7-inch Framee-L features a 720 x 480 resolution display, 1GB of inbuilt memory, an SD / MMC card slot, USB port and an alarm feature for waking you in the mornings (or nights, if you roll like that). Furthermore, you'll find a capable multimedia player that can handle photo slideshows, all sorts of audio files and even MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, AVI and Motion JPEG video formats. It'll hit Japan just before Santa takes flight for ¥17,800 ($196).[Via SlashGear]
ATSC 2.0 includes support for H.264
Whoa, we didn't see this one coming, but in an announcement today, the international Advanced Television Systems Committee approved and published an update (A/72) to the spec we all use for over-the-air HD that includes the hottest new codec around, H.264. The problem is that the odds of the US adopting the new standard with ATSC 1.0 so wide spread, is slim to none. It makes sense if you think about it, we aren't even done using NTSC yet, so the last thing every broadcaster in America wants to do now, is to go and replace all those modulators again. And it goes without saying that all the consumers aren't rushing out to replace all the tuners in our brand new HDTVs. So while it may be some time before the we adopt a new standard in the US, the rest of the world that chooses the new standard when they switch digital can at least enjoy more HD, with less bandwidth.
Thomson launches HD AVC encoding tools for Blu-ray
Thomson's Tiger AVC encoder that it has been using in house for the last couple of years, is now available for sale to interested Blu-ray (and HD DVD) compression and authoring facilities. Including Thomson's film grain adjustment technology among other parts of a "secret sauce" Thomson says results in better looking MPEG-4 / h.264 encoded movies. Packaged as the Nexcode HD AVC Encoder, its a full hardware and software solution built to scale to business requirements. No word on who exactly will use this technology, but as long as our HDM is artifact-free, we're not too concerned how it got that way.
PS3 firmware v1.90 adds (forced) 1080p24, expands AVCHD support
The PlayStation 3's latest firmware update is out in Japan, adding an option to force 1080p/24 Blu-ray/DVD playback to the console, among other features. Continuing the steady flow of updates for the PS3, v1.90 also adds playback for AVCHD files from Memory Stick or digital camera, upscaling for audio CD output over HDMI or optical output, the ability to change XMB wallpaper, adjust video output settings for PSOne and PS2 game while in game and an "eject disc" option on the XMB. The official PlayStation Blog says the update is "coming soon" to the U.S. so keep that 24fps-compatible HDTV ready for judder-free movie playback.Update: Added in this update is the ability to "force" 24fps output, which should fix compatibility issues with certain displays. (Thanks Mp3)Read - PlayStation.BlogRead - Impress
PS3 firmware 1.82 on the way, adds AVC High Profile playback
Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network Operations, posted on the company's official blog that firmware 1.82 would be arriving on the PS3 in the next few days. The update's sole new feature appears to be AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) files. Now, instead of having to make due with Main Profile AVC, you'll be rocking the Separate Cb and Cr QP control and the 8x8 vs. 4x4 Transform Adaptivity! *drool*Lempel said that the update doesn't fix the audio problems that some commenters on the blog had complained about, but said that "hopefully this update is moving us closer." In other news that is not of any immediate help to anyone, Lempel says that Sony is "continuing to evaluate and improve things across the board, including PS2 software compatibility." Let's keep our profiles crossed.
Fifth Element Blu-ray exchange program details announced
Considering what a mythical reference title The Fifth Element was when released on DVD (and Superbit, and Laserdisc!), it was surprising to see it reviewed as just another softly-focused, dirty, and scratchy launch title for Blu-ray. Many reviewers and fans complained about the lackluster MPEG-2 encoding, and the general poor quality of the transfer. Sony has announced details and contact information about a plan to exchange the first -- now discontinued -- batch of Blu-ray Discs for the remastered edition, due to be released in July. The new version is a new 1080p transfer from a different master, and includes Dolby TrueHD as well as uncompressed PCM audio. It will also be encoded in MPEG-4 AVC, which will hopefully show off the improved compression of the newer codec. Quite an olive branch from Sony for those who have already picked it up, and a show of good steps toward making Blu-ray titles the best they can be. Now the question remains, how many of the other initial MPEG-2 Blu-ray titles will be remastered like this?
Toshiba develops new compresion tech for HD DVD
Today's latest CODECs can do some amazing things in the quality vs size compromise, but anyone who has tried to encode their own knows how challenging it can be. Members of the Blu-ray camp have claimed they use MPEG2 for just that reason. To make using the latest CODECs easier, Toshiba has developed an encoder that can run on a PC and even encode in real time, which they say will make content creation even easier and faster.
Fox announces first Blu-ray releases: 8 titles, BD-J, MPEG-4 AVC, 50GB
Fox has announced they are jumping into the Blu-ray market in a big way this fall, with eight titles scheduled and the debut of many of the advanced features we've been expecting to see from Blu-ray since launch. Slated to launch just ahead of the Playstion 3 in Japan November 10th followed by North America, Europe and Australia release on November 14th, all of the movies will carry an MSRP of $39.98 and appear to be well worth it. Also announced today is the day-and-date with the DVD release of Ice Age: The Meltdown on Blu-ray November 21st. The rundown of the titles and their features is as follows: Behind Enemy Lines: BD-J authored, DTS HD Lossless Master Audio and MPEG-4 compression. Includes several director commentaries and HD trailers for coming BD releases. Fantastic Four: DTS HD Lossless Master Audio, HD Trailers, HDMV authored. Kingdom of Heaven (Directors Cut): 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc to accommodate the 3 hour 42 minute movie DTS HD Master Lossless Audio, HDMV authored. Kiss of the Dragon: Director commentaries, HDMV authored, HD Trailers. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: BD-J authored, MPEG-4 AVC compression, special features including search index by actor/character/location and more, a first-person shooter game, up to 99 bookmarks, pop up animated trivia game and HD trailers. The Omen (666): DTS HD Lossless Master Audio, director commentaries plus BD-exclusive pop-up trivia track The Devils Footnotes exploring the history of 666. Speed: BD-J authored, DTS HD Lossless Master Audio, 56 category search index, Speed: Take Down Java game with six play modes and HD trailers. The Transporter: DTS HD Lossless Master Audio, HDMV authored, director commentaries, HD trailers. Twentieth Century Fox is obviously going the extra mile to show what Blu-ray can do in these initial releases, with features even Sony Pictures has put off until 2007 like BD-J. As the press release states, these titles and features have been chosen specifically to appeal to buyers of the Playstation 3 and Blu-ray early adopters. While you may be familiar with Blu-ray's advanced Blu-ray Java features obviously present in the BD-J authored releases, if you're unfamiliar with HDMV, that is the term for discs authored with simpler menus more reminiscent of traditional DVDs. While HD DVD has undoubtedly outclassed Blu-ray up to this point, it looks like the BDA's first strike back will come in November.
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Hidden secrets of firmware 2.80
PSP Vault has an impresive story detailing some of the potential hidden secrets of recently released firmware 2.80. Using their mad Japanese skillz, they took a look at Sony's PSP manuals for the firmware, which can be found here, here and here. The video standards have finally been revealed, and they show how Sony still refuses to make it easy on the end user.So for H.264 videos, you're looking at support for files ending with a .MP4 or .M4V extension. They must be 768kbps or under, have a framerate of 30fps or under, and be Level 1.3 or under Baseline Profile, or Level 2.1 or under Main Profile (but CABAC only). The audio tracks of these videos must be in the AAC format, be 128kbps or under, be 48kHz or under, and be in stereo.Uh... okay. Can't we just dump random files into our system without thinking about these technical specs? Another interesting discovery of the article shows how the recent firmware upgrade can allow for PSP-specific codes to be written into websites. For example, webpages can be created to offer downloads... but only for users of the most current firmware. Or, it could lead to some really exciting game and internet synergy. It appears that there's a lot hidden in the PSP; too bad Sony hasn't been upfront with all of it quite yet.
Joystiq Review: PSP Media Manager 1.0
This review was intended to be a DVD-to-PSP how-to guide. Unfortunately, the Media Manager software does not offer a simple solution for porting your DVD stockpile to the PSP. And why should it? Sony wants you to support the UMD format.So what does Media Manager have to offer PSP owners?
NVIDA's PureVideo with H.264 hardware acceleration
NVIDIA's PureVideo H.264 hardware acceleration was officially announced today and there was much rejoicing. Why bog down your CPU with mundane video decoding tasks when your GPU can do it for you, right? PureVideo hardware decoding supports all of the standard MPEG-4 flavors such as H.264, VC-1, WMV and also supports the "soon-to-be-legacy" MPEG-2 compression as well. NVIDIA's PureVideo technology will show up in both desktop and notebook products: the GeForce 6- and 7-series will sport the new technology, as well as the nForce 6150 series of GPUs. Note that this should cover you in a PC solution for either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD since all of the usual suspects codecs are supported.
NVIDIA to bundle H.264 software with 7600 series?
No official word from the company that we can find, but NVIDIA is allegedly going to bundle H.264 decoding software with their GeForce 7600 series that surfaced last month. Currently, the cards support MPEG-2 decoding, but the decoding software isn't supplied with the card. Instead of shelling out an additional few bucks, if you can get H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (did we hit 'em all?) decoding software for free, we're all for it. HDTV clearly isn't limited tothe television area, so it would be a wise move for NVIDIA, and ATI for that matter, to keep pushing the envelope for their GPUs and cards.
Local Channels in MPEG-4 HD on DirecTV starting today for New York and LA
It seems DirecTV is getting the MPEG-4 AVC party started a little early. We knew New York and LA were going to get local channels in high definition, but we thought it would take until January, we were wrong. Starting today, both cities can enjoy their local programming via satellite as long as you have the right equipment.Subscribers who already get their local channels in HD via MPEG-2 equipment don't worry, nothing has changed (yet) for you.New York channels: WABC/Channel 7 WNBC/ Channel 4 WCBS/Channel 2 WNYW (FOX)/Channel 5 LA Channels: KABC/Channel 7 KTTV (Fox)/Channel 11 KCBS/Channel 2 KNBC/ Channel 4
