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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.
DIRECTV rolls out more HDTV locals in MPEG-4
Just as DISH rolls out more locals, DIRECTV stays one step ahead, now announcing that 24 new markets will be getting HD programming via satellite starting in April.As we noted previously, customers who currently receive HD programming will get the channels at no extra charge.Check below for the list of cities to be added in the next wave.
MPEG-4 pwned by AT&T
MPEG-4, everyone's favorite format that could potentially give you high definition video in small enough sizes to fit on a regular DVD, is officially embroiled in controversy. According to PC Magazine, AT&T claims to hold several patents to key underlying technology of MPEG-4. Right now they are targeting Apple, CyberLink, DivX, InterVideo, and Sonic as unlicensed offenders. MPEG-LA, the group that oversees patent licensing for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, says AT&T is not a part of them, but they can't do anything about it and they make no claim to have licenses to all technologies included in the format.Nero and Pentax have already made deals with AT&T, so don't be surprised if the next DVD burning software you buy has a bump in price for AT&T's taste. You have to wonder how this is going to affect satellite, cable and IPTV companies looking to roll out MPEG-4; we didn't see any of them or set-top box manufacturers listed. Also, no word if their notification letter to included any references to Steve Jobs as a "n00b".[Via Data Compression News]
MatrixStream IMX 1020HD STB
MatrixStream appears to be one of the first (if not the first) to bring a 1080p set-top box to market. They're definitely ahead of the curve because so few HDTVs can currently accept a 1080p signal and even fewer, as in zero, networks are broadcasting in 1080p. Don't sell the IMX 1020HD short, however. It's really geared towards 1080i and 1080p video over broadband and already know from our HD Trailer Tuesday series that the 1080p videos look stellar. MatrixStream uses H.264 (or MPEG-4, Part 10) compression to keep the picture quality up and the file size & bandwidth required down. Trials of the new 1080p set-top box start this month and a consumer roll-out is slated for the end of Q1. Hey, MatrixStream: we've got broadband and a space next to our HD set if you're interested!If you want to catch a video of the Mac mini-looking device in action, flush your broadband pipes and grab the 70MB WMV file here. Ironically, the video is 640 x 480, but we forgive 'em. The VOD functionality looks really snappy in the demo.
MPEG 4 moves quietly at Dish
Sometimes the best HDTV news doesn't come from scanning RSS feeds or attending the latest trade shows; sometimes the best HDTV news comes from passing conversations. We've mentioned the DIRECTV MPEG-4 strategies a time or two, but we've been quiet on the Dish Network front. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into my friend Paul at work and he mentioned his new Dish HDTV receiver sporting an MPEG-4 logo.I figured he got the non-DVR model 811 since I knew he was thinking of using WMCE for his high-def recordings. Nope, Paul has the VIP-211 model. Huh? How did we miss that? A quick bunch of research indicates a 411 model with MPEG-4 support also (shown above). The units don't appear on Dish Network's site yet and there's no news that they're transmitting MPEG-4 signals yet, but it's clear that there's compression afoot; more deets to follow!
