Brightcove beta launch claims compression breakthrough
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 23 May 2017

Online video technology provider Brightcove has announced the beta availability of Context Aware Encoding, a new video compression technology designed to lower the total cost of ownership and improve video quality.

The solution incorporates machine learning and deep video analysis, and claims to achieve optimum quality for each video with the fewest bits necessary.

Context Aware Encoding analyses each individual video and optimises it for the target device and bandwidth profiles. The technology then optimises video parameters such as resolution and frame rate, and codec parameters like bitrate, codec profile and level, and creates the appropriate adaptive bitrate (ABR) ladder from this.

The technology is also said to take into account the broader context of the video experience, creating a custom encoding profile tailored to the combination of each individual video’s content complexity and viewing environment. The result for viewers is said to be a higher quality video that starts up faster and buffers less.

Brightcove says that for its media customers managing hundreds of videos and millions of streams, the cost savings on storage and bandwidth could be meaningful. By reducing the number of renditions created and automatically adjusting the bitrates, Brightcove estimates that for many customers, cost savings on storage can approach 50%, and on average 40% on bandwidth.

“Context Aware Encoding provides more bang for the bit to Brightcove Video Cloud customers,” Anil Jain, executive vice president and general manager, media business unit, Brightcove, said. “In keeping with the manifesto that we’re living by in 2017, we’re proud of this new technology that simplifies the transcoding process and delivers on the promise to greatly enhance the user experience and significantly cut operational spend.”

Brightcove added that the release of Context Aware Encoding addresses two mandates in its Manifesto for Transforming the Experience and Economics of Online Video.