ESPRE LIVE - Lightning Strike® LSVX Codec

ESPRE’s new version 3.0 of the LSVX codec has significantly improved performance for encoding and video quality as measured by peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The new LSVX also includes new features and enhancements for making video production faster and more reliable with decreased bandwidth for the end user. Highest quality for the least bandwidth has always been the accolade given to prior versions of the LSVX and this new version has made advancements in both factors. While the prior version of LSVX outperforms every other video codec in the market, the new features in the new version of the codec boost performance to new highs. Patent-pending algorithms for video encoding and decoding result in these new features. The LSVX is enhanced for coverage of high definition resolutions with the same superior Video Quality at reduced Bandwidth.

Technology Description

ESPRE Live is a comprehensive video platform for real-time interactive live and streaming media. Our solution is perfect for application developers, media companies, and service providers seeking an end-to-end platform for advanced video services to deliver quickly the highest quality media experience. We make it easy for broadband carriers, hardware manufacturers, and software solutions providers to build, deploy, and operate real-time, broadcast quality, collaborative video services on a unified platform.

Video Messaging Services provide a comprehensive solution for video encoding, hosting, and distribution for applications such as video email systems, video blogging, and commercial streaming video hosting services.

Publishing & Broadcasting Services provide direct control over encoding parameters to create video from sub-QCIF to HD resolution. Indexing and segmentation allow re-encoding of sub-clips and aggregation of multiple clips into feature length video. Intelligent streaming capabilities adjust the streams to available bandwidth and CPU resources.

Video Conferencing and Collaboration Services manage encoding of live video streams and distribution to multiple end points for video conferenc¬ing, workgroup collaboration and broadcast applications. An exclusive approach to encrypted, tunneling communications provides secure, reliable video streams that traverse corporate networks.

At the core of ESPRE LIVE, Video Encoding and Decoding (codec) Services are provided by the patented Lightning Strike LSVX™ Codec. LSVX differentiates from other video codecs in many ways:

• Uses proprietary Wavelet Key frame as well as Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) delta frame technology to maximize video quality while minimizing bandwidth
• Supports an industry standard h.263+ mode for inter-operability
• Supports usage of MMX for the Intel platforms in library functions
• Available for Texas Instruments DSPs for mobile and set top box deployments
• Supports a wide range of resolutions from 128x96 up to 1920x1080 in multiples of 16 for the horizontal and vertical dimensions, in any aspect ratio
• Allows applications to control quality level, frame rate, resolution, bit rate and other parameters
• Supports real time modification of Bit Rate, Frame Rate and Rate Control Mode settings
• Available as a library for Windows XP/VISTA, Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows Mobile platforms
• Available as a pure Java decoder implementation on a myriad of Java enabled platforms
• LSVX IP is wholly owned and licensed by ESPRE

LSVX Real Time Performance

The time to encode video becomes a critical factor in two-way video communications as well as for encoding large volumes of video files. The LSVX is able to encode in real-time, even at large resolutions and high quality necessary for business grade video conferencing. The LSVX signifi¬cantly outperforms H.263 and H.264 codecs as well as other proprietary codecs in this regard.

LSVX Compression Consistency

For equivalent bit rate settings the LSVX produces higher quality output streams in terms of high signal to noise ratio with significantly lower variance in the ratio from frame to frame. Producing a consistent PSNR avoids “pulsing” as opposed to many codecs and results in a better user experience.

VOD and Real Time Usage

All these advantages benefit VOD Applications as well as Real Time Services, to make multi-media truly possible due to the high quality, low bandwidth and CPU efficiency of LSVX.

Key Features

Entropy Compression: Provides either enhanced speed or compression ratios on both MMX and non-MMX machines creating greater flexibility for the user.

Variable Data Transmission Rates: LSVX compression maintains the highest quality at the highest frame rates available for known bandwidth constraints and image sizing.

Selectable Encoding Parameters:

• Compression Ratio : as high as 1000:1 depending on the quality of the source media
• Resolution : All width x height rations from 128x96 up to 1920x1080 in multiples of 16.
• Frame Rate : Selectable rate from 1 to 60 frames per second.
• Quality Setting : Adjustable from 2 to 31 for relative quality, with options to allow automatic adjustment of the Quality level to reach the target Bit Rate.
• Bit Rate Control : Automatic adjustment of other codec parameters to achieve the target bit rate, definable in the range of 40 kbps to 100 mbps.
• Motion Searching Options : Both 8x8 and half-pel methods are supported.
• Fixed or Automatic Key Frame Insertions: Programmable options for both fixed Key Frame rate and Automatic Key Frame insertion based on detecting scene changes results in better compression ratios.
• Programmable Scene Detection : Scene Change Detection algorithm is driven by a group of parameters that can be controlled in Expert mode to achieve the highest possible quality.
• Turbo Compression Mode : A highly optimized compression mode is provided for significantly reducing bandwidth with only slight degradation in signal to noise ratio.
• Real Time Parameter Adjustment : Applications using LSVX services are able to change the Bit Rate, Frame Rate and Rate Control Mode settings in real time under program control.
• Input Source : Encoding input files are typically in AVI file format.
• Simplified Parameter Settings : Default parameter settings are provided for Basic, Advanced and Expert encoding modes of operation, with support for Annexes D, E, I, J, S, T.
• Scene Variable Encoding : ESPRE Live supports encoding scenes individually delimited by frame numbers.
• Media Engine components using JavaScript Methods : The ESPRE Live Media Engine that contains the LSVX Codec provides access to developers via JavaScript methods to embed customized video recording and playback capabilities into any HTML presentation.
• Installation : LSVX is available as a self-installing windows module or as part of ESPRE Live download using a simple installation procedure.
• Browsers : ESPRE Live supports all major browsers on the most common operating systems used today.
• Connection Speeds : Multi-media performance is optimal on broadband connections, but the LSVX and ESPRE Live applications support even dial-up connection speeds.

What does this mean to the industry?

The CODEC: ESPRE’s video compression technology, based on proprietary Wavelet-based and patented LSVX CODEC, produces significantly better video at lower bandwidths than existing CODECs. ESPRE’s technology significantly outperforms Adobe’s FLASH in both quality and bandwidth requirements. This advantage becomes more evident at higher resolutions and in scenes that include both high motion and camera panning at the same time. ESPRE can quickly customize its video tools and extend their functionality to provide its users significant competitive advantages. Services based on FLASH depends on the same functionalities defined by Adobe and must necessarily imitate each other in their service offerings, while with ESPRE, users have the opportunity to continuously innovate and enhance products. When it comes to live broadcast and interactive video applications, the speed of encoding becomes a very important issue. LSVX encodes in real-time at resolutions up to 720x480 while many of the other leading CODEC’s in the market require a hardware boost or a very high-end processor to achieve real-time encoding at the higher resolutions.

What do the analysts and 3rd parties say?

“There are a lot of compression approaches for live video, and the ESPRE CODEC that’s built into VUELIVE showed the highest quality, the best detail, and the lowest latency of any software-only solution I’ve seen, VUELIVE’s playback module is small, and runs as a JAVA applet inside a web browser. VUELIVE users can instantly be up and running without the need to download, install, and configure a bulky media player.“

Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst with In-Stat (www.in-stat.com)

GIPS LSVX (Licensee of ESPRE Codec)

Global leader in voice over IP tool kit (VoIP) with customers like Skype, Cisco, Yahoo, Google, and Oracle

Driving real-time multimedia IP communication

Quality has always been the driving force behind widespread adoption of IP communications. Whereas the first generation of IP communications focused mainly on high-quality voice, video has rapidly become a critical and essential component of leading edge IP products. Application developers and service providers today need to guarantee that their multimedia offerings are not just meeting but also exceeding customers’ expectations – expectations that are rising on a near daily basis. Video users are increasingly requiring better speed, visual quality, reliability, and consistency. Adding more in the way of feature sets while providing more efficient CPU usage challenges developers. To meet these demanding market requirements a solution specifically designed for IP networks is needed. Even more important is a solution that will keep pace with the ever-demanding and increasing requirements of the market.

GIPS LSVX, part of the GIPS MediaWare™ media processing suite, is a high quality video codec specifically designed for video communications over IP networks. GIPS LSVX not only exceeds today’s standard video codecs in terms of basic quality, but also provides superior robustness against packet loss and the better visual quality mandated for real-time IP communications. Comparisons of GIPS LSVX codec against the popular standard implementations of H.263 and H.264 show that GIPS LSVX codec provides superior visual quality and performance at lower bit rates as well as providing the most efficient CPU usage. The GIPS LSVX codec meets end user and developer requirements by providing color balanced and sharp output. In addition, GIPS LSVX adheres to bandwidth allocation and provides superior bandwidth control. GIPS LSVX is also less resource intensive than other standard video codecs, minimizing the RAM and CPU required to deliver a high quality media solutions.