The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced its approval of the H.265 video format standard on Friday. The new codec may bring 4K video to broadband and also limit bandwidth usage for HD streaming, offering both higher resolution video and lower data use.
As already announced by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) in August of last year, H.265 video is designed to divide bandwidth usage in half. The new format is also expected to allow for true HD streaming in places with low connectivity, mobile phones, and tablets. In areas with sufficient broadband, 4K could also be made available to consumers at a rate of 20-30Mbps.
The new codec is a successor to H.264, a common format used for most videos released and streamed online. H.265 is also known as High Efficiency Video Coding (HVEC).
H.265 was created as a collaboration between the ITU Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and MPEG. No information has been released regarding the new video format’s date of availability to consumers.
What are your thoughts concerning the new H.265 format? Do you think it will affect your media-viewing habits? For those of you who have a mobile data cap, will you consider changing your plan?
Source: ITU via Techcrunch
Image Credit: jsawkins
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This can be very interesting
maybe it’s to match the new 4K pattern
Very cool.
how about it’s hardware requirements?
I doubt it would be any different than what you have, now. Of course, there will have to be software updates.
I think this is a very interesting development. Specially in the developing countries where we are trying to use video content for skill development it will be a boon. We will be able to deliver high quality video content even into small towns where bandwidth is an issue.
I like your thinking, Sam.
High deviation video
I think it has to happen sooner than later. Especially if we want 4k on the web. I do wonder what the rates are going to be, that’s a lot of data to move.
For 4K, it would actually be about what we have now. For high definition, it would be about half. Compression is fun.
Any program that utilize this format already?
Nothing I’ve seen.
heck, even if i get the same hi def 1080p quality that im getting now with h264, but in a much smaller size ill be happy. some 1080p movies can get to be over 4 gigs… cut that in half or more and keep the quality and ill buy one.
i think on a HD monitor viewing 4k content will not be a much difference …
I wonder how much it will impact my pocketbook?
Awesome to format for faster internet speed
This could be excellent!
Any timeline given regarding general availability to developers and public? This is definitely the next big thing in online video.
Of course the corporate loot-whores are going to patent it and not make it publicly available ironically defeating the purpose and original intentions of the internet.
If its not going to be free, i think the entire internet should fight against standardizing it.