Telairity is Celebrating 15 years Serving the Broadcast Industry

In 2016, Telairity is celebrating its 15^th anniversary as a market leader in the broadcast industry.  Since 2001, we have been designing, manufacturing and marketing video processing solutions for broadcast and professional video applications.  We produce next generation encoding solutions made in Silicon Valley, USA, and used around the world.  Our experience and history of providing solutions for video processing over these last 15 years is a big part of the advantage that we bring to each new project.

The broadcast industry has undergone massive changes over the last 15 years, moving from analog to all-digital technology, from SD to HD and UHD, from 2D to 3D, from CRT displays to flat panel displays, from time-bound to on-demand viewing, from large fixed screens in living rooms and bedrooms to small on-the-go mobile screens—to name just some of the more notable shifts. Telairity has continually produced innovative products and solutions to meet broadcaster’s demands within rapidly changing technologies.  The advanced video compression systems we provide uniquely fast start-up times and combine low latency with low bitrates during operation.  This makes them an ideal choice for both remote and field broadcast applications, which require top-of-the-line real-time performance, and for IPTV and other applications, that require the lowest achievable bitrates.

Today, Telairity systems are deployed in over 50 countries around the world for tasks that include electronic news gathering, in-stadium replay, remote learning, outreach programs, event streaming, and more—wherever video must be moved reliably, economically, and efficiently in real time.  As one of the few companies that controls all its key technologies, from video processor development through system enclosure design, Telairity is also uniquely able to customize systems to meet specific needs.  Whether it’s simply a new combination of existing capabilities, or a requirement for capabilities not yet offered on any standard product, we will work with you to find the right solution to your encoding needs.

Over our 15 years, Telairity has designed and manufactured numerous products that have met the new technology needs of the broadcasting industry.  Due to our investment in technology, we offer encoding platforms that are powerful, fast and reliable and are always working to meet the latest demands of the industry.  It has been a pleasure to serve our customers over the last 15 years, and we look forward to providing next-generation encoding solutions for our customers for years to come.

Wither HEVC?

The H.265/HEVC or MPEG-5 encoding standard (finalized in 2013) is the next generation of encoding technology after the H.264/AVC or MPEG-4 standard (finalized in 2003). Just as AVC stands for Advanced Video Coding, HEVC is an acronym for High Efficiency Video Coding. The 5^th generation number associated with the H.265 and MPEG-5 labels is somewhat misleading since, in fact, HEVC is only the third generation of MPEG digital compression technology developed for broadcast television. The initial MPEG-1 standard (finalized in 1991) was targeted to low-resolution video CD formats, while work on an MPEG-3 standard, intended to support HD TV formats, was abandoned after a year or so in favor of a relatively minor extension to the original broadcast TV standard, MPEG-2 (finalized in 1994).

Compared to other areas of high technology—e.g., semiconductors, where “Moore’s Law” predicts capabilities will double every 2 years—the decade-per-standard rate of advance for digital compression is surprisingly sedate. This relatively slow pace results from two major factors. One factor is a law of diminishing returns that governs all forms of compression: namely, every unit of reduction achieved makes it harder to achieve the next unit until, when some theoretical minimum is reached, infinite force must be applied to make any further gains.

The second factor is the fact that, practically speaking, adoption of a new, more efficient broadcast compression technology is tied to the adoption of a new, higher resolution broadcast standard. For example, the original MPEG-2 broadcast standard was designed to adequately support the transmission of SD video formats over available transmission pathways. Although next-generation H.264/AVC (MPEG-4) encoders were able to cut MPEG-2 bitrates in half with no loss of video quality, their appeal was nonetheless limited when they started to appear following completion of the 2003 standard. Older MPEG-2 encoders were still adequate for SD, and both more mature and less costly than the latest high-powered H.264/AVC encoders.

As a consequence, widespread adoption of H.264/AVC encoders had to wait on the spread of HDTV programming, which literally overwhelmed MPEG-2 technology by multiplying SD picture data by a factor of 6X. HDTV programming, in turn, naturally lagged behind the adoption of HDTV sets. Since HDTV sets did not reach critical mass in the USA until 2006 (when they finally passed 10% of the installed base and sales figures started climbing rapidly), broadcasters did not begin buying H.264 encoders in any significant numbers before 2008.

There is a lot to be said on this topic and we'll continue it more in our next post with information about adoption of H.256/AVC encoding. To learn more about Telarity and our video compressors, visit our website. We are also active on Twitter and LinkedIn publishing company updates and industry news.

Meet Telairity at the NAB Show

This week we’ll be exhibiting at the NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center and showcasing our new line of products. The NAB Show is the world’s largest electronic media show with over 93,000 attendees and over 1,550 exhibitors, covering everything from filmed entertainment as well as the development, management and delivery of content. In addition to the exhibits, the show offers an array of sessions, including workshops, speakers, and conference series.

Telairity will be located at booth SU11306 where we’ll be featuring our video processing solutions for the broadcasting, backhaul, mobile, government, and related markets. We offer a full range of H.264/AVC encoding solutions, the newest built on the next generation of our exclusive TVP video processor and direct-execution AVClairity compression software. We’ll also debut a new “Pegasus” product line of portable encoders at the show, so be sure to stop by our booth to catch up on all the latest developments.

For additional information about Telairity, visit our website and be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on all the latest media industry news.

The Translation of Video Transmission

The modes by which we receive and interact with video as a culture are undergoing a shift.  As internet streaming speeds improve, and a more á la carte approach to television increases, the broadcasting industry is experiencing a potentially radical shift.  Much like the music industry, subscription services are changing the way many consumers understand and enjoy video:  Youtube is ever increasing in popularity; businesses like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, and Hulu Plus are gaining more traction; and products like the Apple TV, Roku, and the new Chromecast are enabling this rising tide of video to easily reach your TV via the internet.

While some are quick to forecast the end of broadcast TV, the reality is that typical broadcast  services don’t quite overlap with what is available on the web.  There are still some things that subscription and streaming services can’t offer.  News is one example – the digital transmission of live events for a public audience is something uniquely offered by broadcasters.  Additionally, local programming, emergency alert systems, and other real-time services are staples of the broadcasting industry that can’t be as effectively disseminated by any other current method.

The staple of broadcasting is video, the rising tide that increasingly floats all internet boats. The pressing need of the internet age is not for established broadcasters to be replaced by new entrants, providing some analog of the news and other services now offered by today’s cable, satellite, and over-the-air broadcasters. Rather, the need is for broadcasters to fully embrace the internet’s potential as an interactive, world-wide delivery channel in order to adapt, expand, and enhance the services they already know how to provide uniquely well.

It is precisely at these exciting crossroads of change and evolution that businesses involved in  video technology must understand and analyze the shifting nature of today’s landscape in order to better provide their customers with what they want and need.  Though the method and markets for broadcast media are undoubtedly changing, you can be sure that our experts at Telairity are on top of the trends, and intent on providing broadcasters together with all other professional video providers the latest innovative technology to answer the demands of new media.