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Microsoft has a trick for making holograms from live video
We've seen Microsoft's HoloLens do an awful lot of different things so far, but Halo, Minecraft and even medical applications are just scratching the surface of what the augmented reality headset is capable of. In a new research paper, Redmond outlines how it plans to grab live video that'd work as fodder for the device's holographic capabilities. Perhaps most importantly these holographic video feeds would be streamable over the internet, as Road to VR points out. By taking advantage of some 106 RGB and infrared cameras and a green screen, Microsoft says that it's able to capture, compress and recreate pretty lifelike results.
UltraViolet movie format to use Dolby Digital Plus encoding, keep sound thumping across platforms
Movies encoded in UltraViolet's Common File Format represent just one of multiple takes on paid internet video -- what's to make them stand out? The answer might just be Dolby Digital Plus audio encoding, which should be a staple feature of CFF from now on. A newly ready development kit lets producers feed the multichannel sound to hardware and apps that can recognize it, including web-based avenues like Apple's HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft's Smooth Streaming and MPEG's DASH. Just in case a few devices fall through the cracks, Dolby is talking directly with digital production firms like castLabs, Digital Rapids and Elemental Technologies to make sure the audio codec's implementation truly spans platforms. We don't know how soon movies will take advantage of the upgrade, but the Dolby addition lends weight to a fledgling format that might have as fierce a battle in home theaters as it does on PCs and tablets.
MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013
All of that squabbling over H.264 may be rendered moot in the near future. The Motion Picture Experts Group (better known as MPEG) has just let us know that it was quietly drafting a new video standard while everyone was on summer vacation last month: H.265, also called High Efficiency Video Coding, promises to squeeze video sizes with double the efficiency of H.264. As you might imagine, this could lead either to a much smaller video footprint for bandwidth-starved mobile users or a hike to image quality with the same size as before. Imagine fast-loading HD streaming on 4G, or cable TV without all the excess compression, and you've got the idea. Ericsson Research visual technology lead Per Fröjdh anticipates H.265 coming as soon as 2013, when our smartphones and tablets are most likely to play it first. TV and other areas might have to wait, although Fröjdh is offering a consolation prize -- he's teasing a separate MPEG project that could give us glasses-free, compressed 3D video as a standard by 2014.
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.
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]
Win a license for video catalog tool Frameline 47
If you're like me, your professional or personal efforts toward video organization nirvana have been less than fruitful over the years. With video files spread across multiple formats and multiple storage locations, keeping everything readily available and tagged for reuse is a giant pain. On the consumer level I've tried iDive, iView Multimedia (now Microsoft Expression Media), even plain old iPhoto, and I'm checking out FootTrack; moving up the ladder, there are high-end choices like Cumulus/Mediadex and Final Cut Server. Finding that midrange, prosumer & network-enabled video cataloging tool, with options for MPEG-7 metadata, dynamic clip creation and embedded Spotlight comments in files -- well, I'm still looking, but Frameline 47's new version 3 seems to come pretty close to what I want. Frameline 47 is a $139 app that works both for an individual and as a networked tool, with Bonjour sharing and the ability to do the aforementioned Spotlight embeds, so your tags, comments and metadata travel with the files instead of with a master catalog; the full Workgroup edition is due at Macworld Expo, with additional capabilities for shared data. All your video files, on all your attached drives, in any QuickTime-readable format (plus WMV and more with Flip4Mac and Perian) can be scanned and thumbnailed into Frameline's search browser; once there, you can add annotations, identify clips for reuse, export your edited files, create webpage galleries, or pass along edit lists to Final Cut. There's a lot in Frameline to explore; probably more than I'll use for my personal projects, but if you have to wrangle a large collection of clips for your editorial work it's definitely worth a look. You can download a 14-day trial from Frameline's site... but we've got a special offer for TUAW readers courtesy of Frameline: 10 licenses to give away, free of charge. Read on for details on how to enter and win. P.S. Extra credit if you suss out why the app includes the number '47' in its name.
Moto shows off new MPEG encoders featuring AFD
Most of the news that comes out of NAB isn't that interesting to consumers, but these new MPEG encoders from Motorola have a cool new feature that we're excited about as HD fans. As much as we love HD, we accept the fact that most of the world is still living in SD, and sure, for the most part that's there problem. But where is our problem is that many of the programs we watch are produced with SD viewers in mind. The biggest example of this is when sports are framed for the 4x3 aspect ratio of SDTVs. This is really obvious on a football game when we're waiting for the ball to be hiked, and the camera is aimed to ensure there's nothing to see on the sides. While this ensure SDTV fans aren't missing any of the action, those with a wider perspective usually get to see grass in that extra realestate we paid for. Well, these new encoders feature Active Format Description (AFD) which can automatically decide if the content should be letterboxed or cropped. This way the producer can rest easy when directing his camera operators to frame for 16x9, without worrying about all the SD fans at home complaining cause they can't see the action. Of course this means they'll just complain about the black bars, but that's for another discussion.[Via Media Experiences 2 Go]
Euro1080 to implement DTS HDTV over satellite
European satellite operator Euro1080 announced plans to implement DTS-encoded audio streams into their recently-launched MPEG-4 satellite feeds. Enabling the 5.1-channel audio format broadcast is tech from Coding Technologies, which will put the DTS signal inside the aacPlus feed that will be broadcast along with HDTV picture to Europeans who subscribe to Euro1080 satellite. New set-top boxes to decode the MPEG-4 content are also to be released by electronics manufacturers. American ATSC standards only allow for competitor Dolby Digital's multichannel audio to be encoded, but DTS audio can be found in standard and high-def DVDs
Pandigital unveils 10.4-inch video-playing digital photo frame
Apparently Pandigital put up some stellar sales figures over the holidays with its foursome of video-playing digital photo frames, and now the company is raising the stakes by tossing out a 10.4-inch edition with 256MB of internal memory. The PAN10-2 features a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast ratio, and a 178-degree viewing angle. Additionally, the frame will play back MPEG 1/4 and AVI movie clips, MP3 files stored on the internal memory, and of course, roll through slideshows of your favorite galleries. You'll also get a wireless remote to control the action from afar, and if the quarter-gigabyte of built-in space isn't roomy enough for you, feel free to cram any of your SD, xD, MS, MSPro, MSDuo, CF, or MMC cards in the flash card reader for nearly limitless fun. So if you weren't able to woo your secret Santa into gifting you with a digiframe last month, you can pick up this 10.4-inch rendition for $249.99 in "mid-February."[Via PhotographyBlog]
3Soft's Maxtombow GPS conglomerate headed for America
It seemed to start with all-in-one PMP / gaming handhelds, and now the conglomerate craze is apparently bleeding over to the GPS realm. While we've already seen the Guide Dog, which claims to handle more multitasking that we can even fathom in a portable GPS unit, 3Soft's Maxtombow isn't too far behind. Packing a bit more credibility that the aforementioned PDC gizmo, this 7-inch in-car / handheld device reportedly packs a 720 x 480 resolution LCD, built-in TV tuner, SD expansion slot, AV outputs, an FM tuner, and of course, the obligatory turn-by-turn tour guide to keep you on track. It also claims to function as an MP3 / WMA player, JPEG viewer, and even handles XviD, AVI, WMV, and MPEG1/4 on the video front. Purportedly coming in 1GB or 2GB flavors, this bad boy comes pre-packaged with a car-mounting kit to please your passengers. Recently released FCC approval documents all but confirm the prospect of an American Maxtombow, but we've heard nothing on the subject of how quickly this thing will make the trip from Korea to America, nor how much coinage it'll demand when it lands.
Pinnacle rolls out PCTV To Go placeshifting box, bundles WiFi
If you're scouting the perfect placeshifting device to cure those television blues while stuck at your TV-less grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, the Slingbox might not be the obvious choice anymore. Granted, it'll probably be awhile before the current king is dethroned, Pinnacle is giving the shifting game its best shot with the PCTV To Go. Sporting built-in WiFi / Windows MCE support, this content liaison works essentially like any other timeshifting device out there, and channels MPEG4 video to wherever you're logged in (or MPEG2 if connected locally). It also allows full control over your attached DVR, giving you the opportunity to schedule a recording for that oh-so-critical rerun of Nick Arcade, Season One. It reportedly works seamlessly with your home entertainment system, acting as a pass-through device that won't complicate things when wiring it up, but there's no word on whether it supports HD signals. The Pinnacle PCTV To Go should be available just before Turkey Day for a very competitive $249.99.[Via PVRWire]
PSP-PS3 connectivity stays away from discs
The PLAYSTATION 3 launch is getting closer and closer, and PSP fans are getting anxious. There's potential for a lot of great things to be done with the PSP-PS3 connectivity. Remote Play is one example of the connectivity at play: you'll be able to stream media from your PS3 to your PSP, so you see videos, music and images from your PS3's hard drive. However, according to PSX Extreme, you won't be able to stream copyright-protected content, such as disc media. So, you won't be able to stream the newest Blu-Ray movie from your PS3 to your PSP. You won't be able to stream any of your DVDs. How will purchased music work?However, all the media that's stored on the PLAYSTATION 3's drive should stream to the PSP reasonably well, and the PS3 supports quite a number of formats: 1UP reports that the PS3 will support: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (PS, TS), MPEG-4 SP, and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. Audio formats include: ATRAC, AAC, MP3, and WAV. The PS3 is clearly a lot more flexible with video formats than the PSP, and unlike the PSP, will support videos with resolutions as high as 1920x1080 (according to PS3 Fanboy).PS3 Fanboy also reports that future firmware upgrades may allow you to play PS3 content from your PSP, as previously theorized. While this is an exciting prospect, I hope that the immediate future brings us unrestricted video on the PSP, similar to what the PS3 has (having 480x272 video would be very nice indeed!).
dCube unveils HD XviD-playing MV-8600HD at KES
The flashy gizmos that keep popping up at this year's Korean Electronics Show continue to impress, and next up is dCube's media-playing extraoridinaire, the MV-8600HD. This stylish box boasts an optical drive that plays nice with a myriad of formats, including HD XviD, MPEG1/2/4, AVI, VOB, IFO, ASF, and WMV on the video side, while supporting MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, PCM, and AC3 on the musical front. The device can output video at 1080i resolution (no word on upscaling, however), and rocks DVI, component, composite, and S-Video outputs to complement the stereo, coaxial, and optical digital audio ports. It even sports a pair of USB 2.0 ports and integrated Ethernet / WiFi, presumably for attaching external storage and making it accessible over a network. As expected, there's no skinny on pricing or availability details, but you should be able to import this all-in-one wonder stateside real soon.
How HD gets from your tuner to monitor
]Yah ever wonder how the 'tv stuff'' gets from your tuner, could be built-in or set-top box flavor, to your screen. HD1080i has a rather nice explanation of the process, although, we would still like to see a magic school bus episode with that crazy teacher flying through the inside of a DLP cabinet. By understanding what is actually going on, a person therefore can track down and fix issues with the picture a lot easier. Digital signals travel on a sort of transport stream made up of Mpeg signals. It is also this practice that can create those 'blocks' on the screen everyone loves to hate. Those 'blocks' are caused by lack of bandwidth and the hardware trying to produce something for the area affected. Like stated in the hd1080i article, if you see LOTS of block, call your cable company as they might not know there is a problem in your area, but unfortunately, some of these blocks are considered normal. This article might bring to light what is actually going on in that colossal HDTV of yours but we still think a ride in the magic school bus would be better.
Final VC-1 patent licensing terms set by MPEG group
Following up on some comments made in this week's podcast about licensing terms, the MPEG Licensing Administrator group has announced the final patent terms for manufacturers wishing to product equipment or content using the VC-1 video standard. By combining the patent portfolios covering VC-1 into one blanket license, the MPEG group has helped businesses license essential products using one license, which is then split up to the entities that contribute patents to the pool.Details after the break
PiMPstreamer homebrew streams video
One of things I wanted in the next official firmware upgrade was the ability to stream video. A reader by the name of Joel stated that "the PSP doesn't have a Core 2 Duo, it has 237 Megahertz. Live streaming video needs mmuch more."Well, looks like homebrew has proven you wrong. Very wrong. A homebrew application called PiMPstreamer has just been updated, and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. The program lets you stream movies and music from your PC to your PSP. Movies can include traditional MPEG, AVI and even WMV files. It's only been tested on 1.5 firmware, so those of you that homebrew-compatible PSPs might want to check it out. For the rest of us, I think it's a clear indicator that the PSP is very capable of a video streaming function, and we should demand Sony implement it in the next firmware.[Via PSP Hacks]
Toptone M808: a Skype phone and PMP love fest
Ok, here's an interesting point of convergence for you: the Skype phone and portable media player. Yeah ok, Toptone, the apparent Chinese OEM of this one-inch slim device, will actually pre-install any softphone solution into their M808 VoIP phone but we know it's Skype that most of you are digging on. As a media player you get an FM radio, up to 512MB of flash memory to store your audio (MP3, WMA, WAV) and video (WMV, MPEG-1/2/4, AVI) files for playback on the itty-bitty 1.2-inch, 65k color OLED screen. Of course, it also features a built-in Microphone to record voice memos, lectures, or whatever covert shenanigans you might be into. But plug this USB 2.0 pup into any PC with Internet connection and Skype will autolaunch with all your personal settings whether or not the PC has Skype installed. We just hope that autolaunch is configurable, eh? Expect these to drop under a dizzying array of names with pricing starting at $75 for the 128MB model in your choice of silver, red, or blue. [Via Slashphone]
Microsoft bites back at Lucent
Remember that quarrel between Microsoft and Lucent Technologies over MPEG technology a while back? Well they're at it again (as if it had ever stopped). This time, however, Microsoft is going on the offensive.With a bold war cry, they countersued Lucent. We suspect there was some mild name-calling involved, but regardless, the allegations state that Lucent is the one violating a number of copyrights this time. Microsoft also says that the other decoding technology patents were invalid.How long will this slap-fest continue?
Easy iPod/PSP movies with Instant Handbrake
When it comes to turning a DVD into a movie file, Handbrake's name is hailed far and wide for its ease of use, speed and overall quality. Recently, Handbrake's developer took these praised aspects and raised the bar by releasing Instant Handbrake (beta), a one-stop, brain-dead-easy app for converting a DVD to iPod/PSP-compatible video.By default it's set to crop the video when necessary (4:3 for iPod, 16:9 for PSP), depending on which device you specify, but you can elect to maintain the video in its original size. Video formats are MPEG-4 or H.264 for the iPod, and MPEG-4 for the PSP.Like its big brother, Instant Handbrake is free and available here.
iSquint 1.4.1 with 'MPEG-in-.mov' goodness
iSquint, the fantastic little iPod video converter that we've mentioned before, has been updated to version 1.4.1 with a big new feature: handling QuickTime files that contain MPEG video that most other players/encoders will balk at. Various other code tweaks have brought some big speed improvements and fixes for issues with 10.3.9.iSquint is surprisingly still donationware and available from iSquint.org.
