As more and more films and TV series are being distributed over (and even created exclusively for) the Internet, and as the quality is increasing from HD to UHD, the impact of video compression on the final user experience is becoming more significant.
After the transition from 35mm film to digital formats, almost all content processes in the film industry from production, distribution, and exhibition are based in digital formats. Projections in cinemas use a very high quality image format that preserves, as much as possible, the creator’s intention. This format, however, is not suitable for distribution over the Internet due to the huge amount of data that it generates. High compression video codecs are used for online video, sometimes with a very negative impact on the final quality. H.265 has demonstrated significant quality improvements compared to existing codecs.
Video codecs, however, are complex tools and, when not used properly, they can damage severely the image quality creating visually disturbing artefacts. The final user experience can be very different from the one envisioned by the content creators if compression is not done properly.
“In Film265 we have translated the theoretical benefits of H.265 over H.264 into a practical VoD solution that provides a much better visual experience at lower bitrates”. Mauricio Alvarez-Mesa from Spin Digital and TU Berlin.
Film265 presented a H.265 codec optimized for VoD applications at the NEXT pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. The presentation consisted of a panel discussion and a demonstration screening exhibiting the superior coding performance improvements. In particular, a comparison was performed between the current industry standard H.264/AVC (used is most current VoD services), and the new generation codec HEVC/H.265, which is specially designed for HD and UHD content.
In the panel DPs, post-production companies, video codec experts, and film distributors shared their experiences about video compression and its effects on the final user experience.