Recently DivX purchased MainConcept.
This is a very interesting move but really a very cleaver one. And here is my opinion why.
MainConcept is a leading developer in video encoding and decoding software. For example Adobe (New Flash Player) plus many other main stream companies use it. They have a well respected H.264 encoder/decoding. H.264 is expected to become the mp3 for video. Every device will support it, everything will encode it.
And finally, the issue everyone is overlooking. Better then standard colour depth support.
H.264 is available from a number of different developers, however, few are working on the new standard added to H.264 recently. (See wikipedia and High 4:2:2 and High 4:4:4 profiles)
The company with a mature, good encoder that can do these higher colour depth encoding will have a huge advantage in the market.
Why you may ask. It simply the next point of difference that the retailers will latch onto. First you purchase a 42inch TV screen. Then the 42inch HD 720p screen. Then the 1080p (screen). Not here that in many cases the consumer will not see the difference in 720 and 1080 displayers. Still the sales person use this to encourage consumers to purchase a new unit. Well, we are coming to the end of the 1080p reveolution.
The next point of difference will be, can your screen display better then 8 bit colour. However, we need to get these pictures to the screen first.
Imagine if DivX brings out the DivX capable player that does H.264 at better then 8 bit colour.
In real terms this is a very important issue as display and projection techologies have been getting much better then 8bit colour can produce. And in real terms, is a far more noticable improvement then 1080 over 720 on a typically sized screen.
Good luck DivX, nice move.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Davis Freeberg // Nov 29, 2007 at 10:59 am
Thanks for offering such great commentary. It’s clear that the industry has embraced H.264, but DRM has restricted it’s appeal to the pirates. While I can understand why DivX would want to accelerate their development of this technology, I’m still trying to figure out what competitive advantages they’ll have in an H.264 world. Having access to a leader in the h.264 industry is certainly be valuable, but doesn’t this also open up their DivX licensing business to a lot of competition? I’m still trying to figure out how DivX will keep their grip on the pirates, but also take part on the H.264 ecosystem. I can see how they would use Mainconcept to get into new markets, but am not sure if they would want to make it easier for people to encode H.264 content. I may be looking at this the wrong way, but will be fascinated to see how DivX merges the technologies.
I’m not sure that I fully understand the limitations of 8 bit colour. Does this allow for a higher high def experience or does it have more to do with higher compressions for digital transport?
I could see why having access to dynamic high def capabilities would be especially attractive to digital signage advertisers, but am not sure that I understand the potential for projectors. Are you suggesting that a better than 8 bit compression would create an opportunity to go after the digital cinemas or create a better home television experience? Mainconcept is obviously a leader in this field, but is there a reason why you think their combo with DivX will help to solve the 8 bit problem?
2 JamieG // Nov 29, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Hi Davis,
DivX is no match for H.264, and in real terms has lost any war. DivX is also considered a Pirate codec.
The objective here is to become the next Dolby but for Video. H.264 may be a standard, but it’s not what you use, it’s the expected quality and value you get from having a LOGO in the corner of a consumer electronics product.
DivX has done well so far but is still considered a mark of the low end.
The real money that is going to be made in the No-DRM, anyone can really copy anything, (And will because they can with no recourse) is to be the company getting a little slice on the sale of the devices doing all the playback of these files.
The main limitation in 8bit colour is BANDING. And especially banding appearing on cross fades. Looks terrible. The truth is that most shots you see in a film are noisy with little flat colour. And cross fades are not used much. So really it can be hard to see these issues most of the time. Still, as a purist… And one that has sat in front of Grade-1 displays using 10bit colour images… They do look that little bit nicer and more realistic.
And Yes, the other BIG field of interest for H.264 of AVCHD as it is known in video cameras, is for them to adopt better then 8bit colour. This, in my opinion, is where the market will go. The reason for this is that HDV and other inexpensive prosumer cameras, recording in 8bit do look great, but as a film maker, you need to GRADE, or manipulate the colour, to give the film a look or simply match shots done on different days or under different lights.
This is what the Mega expensive digital cameras are all about. Not just uncompressed but 10 bit colour.
So imagine consumer cameras getting equivalent colour depth on AVCHD files to $250,000 up camera kit.
This is another Blue Sky area MainConcept is very dominant in.
James
3 Davis Freeberg // Nov 30, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Thanks for helping me to better understand what Mainconcept brings to the table. It looks like your comments on digital cameras were spot on. Muvee just announced that they are licensing H.264 from Mainconcept for some of the very reasons that you brought up.
http://www.geniusdv.com/weblog/archives/muvee_licenses_h264_encoder_from_mainconcept.php
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