For several days, the National Geographic Channel HD and now Fox Crime HD seems to be transmitted with a new MPEG4 encoding:
Japan's NTT Data developed for Sky Italy the new "NRT encoding" that allows an optimization of the encoding in Mpeg 4, with savings of up to 40% in terms of bit-rate, with the same ease of viewing. All this translates into more bandwidth and more HD channels without having to change decoder. Sky Italy has applied for a patent
The result is that these channels on the decoder does not sky not visible.
NTT DATA announced that it has developed a solution for Sky nominated NRT Encoding that by applying innovative processes on the compression of linear channels broadcast via satellite, it can reduce up to 40% bandwidth consumption necessary, for the same quality. The debut of NRT Encoding - with the first channel on the Sky platform transmitted thanks to new technology - is expected by June and by December 2013, the solution will be extended to other channels.
"We are satisfied with the solution that we have developed in collaboration with NTT DATA as potential applications are numerous and provide us with a significant competitive advantage over other operators," said Massimo Bertolotti, Head of Innovation and Engineering, Sky Italy. "NRT Encoding is a project that has a significant value for Sky Italy has always been attentive to invest in technology, and for its innovative features, we have initiated the process to obtain the patent. "
"We are partners of Sky Italy for several years and, just based on the experience made in the development dell'encoding VOD, used to offer Sky On Demand on all screens (PCs, smartphones, tablets and TV), was born l idea of ??exploiting the techniques of encoding offline for a linear signal processing, "said Riccardo Ferrari, Senior Manager, NTT DATA in Italy. "Based on our research and to our knowledge, there are no similar solutions on the market today."
A technology that optimizes then the compression phase in Mpeg 4 (H.264), obtaining encodings up to 40% more "read" with the same quality, without requiring the adoption of a new codec (see H.265) and that will enable Sky to further increase the range of channels in HD, with the same bandwidth and without having to change the entire park a Sky of its subscribers (Sky has already confirmed the compatibility of the current HD settop box, they will get a firmware update " on-air "). Some have hypothesized that NRT Encoder could be adopted by Sky to broadcast content in Ultra HD resolution, adding that even in this case the current HD decoder would be compatible: Ok the possibility of using the improved encoding, but do not see how the current decoder can convey signals Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 dots) at 50 Hz, for both computational limits of the current decoder chip integrated, and because the built-in HDMI would not be compatible. Not to mention that the Ultra HD broadcasting could see the adoption of 10-bit color space REC.2020.
