White Paper

Understanding Codecs

The Basics of Encoders and Decoders

Given their essential role in supporting IP video delivery, codecs are a critical element within numerous mediafocused applications. As a result, choosing a codec is a critical step. In an evaluation of competing products, the
choice of the right codec depends on the demands of the application in which it will be used.
In order to transmit video efficiently over IP networks, the video must be compressed into a digital stream with a
reduced bit rate. Consider, for example, a 1080p60 stream. On the input connector side, this is referred to as 3G
SDI, which means that its natural baseband data rate is 3 Gbps. Using encoding technology to compress the
digital video and audio data, it is possible to bring the bit rate down below 10 Mbps.
Most encoders achieve this dramatic reduction, which typically ranges somewhere between 500 and 1,000 times
of compression, by applying a form of motion estimation to video. Measuring the variance between adjacent
frame images, the encoder can use a much smaller set of data to represent a series of frames. This approach is
the basis of most compression schemes and is the foundation of MPEG and other popular encoding technologies.
At the destination, or opposite end of the transmission, a decoder processes the compressed stream,
recalculating and reconstituting video and audio data for output via a video port. The combined encoder/decoder
technology is often referred to simply as the codec.
MPEG encoders span a range from free, open-source softwares to sophisticated hardware appliances that cost
tens of thousands of dollars. The fundamental factors in selecting an encoder are the type of content being
encoded, the quality required, the reliability expected, the network to traverse, the target destination for that
content, and the receiving system. Depending on whether the delivery model is point-to-point, a facility-wide, an
Internet broadcast, or a mix of all of these, a primary challenge to tackle is defining the requirements for the
encoder.
Use cases driving quality and interactivity requirements can span from distribution for casual viewing, high-quality
point-to-point transmission for large projection displays, to highly interactive communications where images must
be exceptional crisp and clear enough to enable some type of feedback, whether in a conference, a teaching
environment, or even a robotic control system used for telesurgery. Obviously, each of these uses will require
different encoder features.
Once the performance parameters are defined in accordance with the target application, it becomes much easier
to identify the appropriate encoding technology for the job. Key considerations at this point include:

bandwidth availability
minimum image resolution and expected image quality
permissible latency
reliability

Copyright 2013 Haivision Network Video. All rights reserved. All Specifications are subject to change without notice.

White Paper
Understanding Codecs

A combination of high resolution and low latency is a must for achieving true-to-life quality in interactive
applications. When a very high level of video quality is required, effective and reliable deliver depends both on the
available network bandwidth and on how well the encoder balances resolution, bit rate, and latency.

Of the technologies used to encode video, H.264 is by far the most widely adopted standard today, used
everywhere from YouTube to iPhones to satellite transmission, to BluRay to high-end video delivery applications.
While other video compression technologies Windows Media VC1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 part 2 have come in
and out of favor, all of these have effectively been replaced by H.264. Other technologies do have their strengths.
For example, when network bandwidth requirements simply arent an issue and relatively-low compression levels
are acceptable, then a near-lossless technology such as JPEG2000 could be appropriate. Generally speaking,
HD over JPEG2000 requires up to and beyond 100 Mbps, a rate that is feasible only in very specific uses and on
unusually robust networks. However, when considering the ubiquity of H.264 and the small gains in video quality
with JPEG2000, H.264 is the clear winner.

In addition to encoding, other technologies can be used to enhance the performance of a network video solution.
Security by way of applying encryption technology is a valuable enhancement for applications in which content
protection is an issue. This is often a requirement that broadcasters, cable companies, and other content
providers impose if content is delivered over a network. Other valuable supportive technologies incorporated
within the encoding process can enable encoding of video streams with multiple bit rates, a capability that in turns
allows systems to deliver content a variety of users with video streams that match their network and computer
capabilities. Further encoder technologies include forward error correction (FEC), which allows network video to
traverse less-than-pristine networks. And finally, management of the IP video delivery is often wrapped in a
software system that can offer tools to help address user authentication, stream scheduling, recording, video on
demand, and the transmission of streams to both soft players and set-top boxes (STBs).

Copyright 2013 Haivision Network Video. All rights reserved. All Specifications are subject to change without notice.

White Paper
Understanding Codecs

Together, such encoding and delivery solutions fulfill the needs of three market segments:

The most basic application is bringing audio and video transmissions across distances that cannot be
served by baseband transmission. This direct connection would require encoders at one end and
hardware decoders at the other end to ensure highest quality and reliability with lowest latency.
Applications might include extending a church to a remote campus, extending an operating room to a
conference theater, or establishing a high-performance conferencing link between facilities.
A second category of applications would be the distribution of video through a facility, where the stream
typically would go from the encoder to many STBs and perhaps even software players. This model is
especially useful for those who want to light up flat-panel displays throughout an organization with video
or signage content and make that same content available on the desktop. Such systems can be
implemented either by piecing together standards-based components by selecting a standard-based endto-end systems provider.
The third application type includes organizations wishing to distribute media to its full audience,
regardless of platform. To move video content to a wide range of STBs, computers, and mobile devices,
the selected video streaming system must easily address multiple bandwidth requirements and optimize
the viewing experience on each platform.

The key to success in all video encoding and delivery models is the ease of deployment -- the IT effort needed to
provide all users with the quality of content they need. The ideal solution in todays multiplatform consumption
environment is a comprehensive IP video delivery system that can address all platforms equally with minimal or
no endpoint configuration requirements.

About Haivision
Haivision delivers end-to-end solutions for streaming, encoding, recording, managing, and distributing secure IP video and
interactive media within the enterprise, education, medical/healthcare, and federal/military industries. Haivision is a private
company based in Montreal and Chicago with regional offices in Austin, TX; Atlanta, GA; Portland, OR; Washington D.C. and
Hamburg, Germany. With a global sales and support organization, Haivision distributes its products through value-added
resellers, system integrators, distributors, and OEMs worldwide. More information is available at www.haivision.com.

Copyright 2013 Haivision Network Video. All rights reserved. All Specifications are subject to change without notice.