New Software Speeds MPEG-4 Optimization and Standards-compliance

Vprove is unique new software that makes the job of optimizing MPEG-4 video compression and confirming MPEG-4 standards-compliance much easier, quicker and more quantitative. Vprove does this by looking inside the compressed MPEG-4 bitstream and providing detailed information on exactly how well the compression has been implemented.

Two of the main technical reasons holding back the wider use of MPEG-4 have been:
• widespread multi-vendor interoperability, and
• coding performance.
Vprove, a major new software package from Vqual, solves these problems for the engineer working with MPEG-4.

Firstly, Vprove performs comprehensive standards-compliance checking by looking inside the compressed video bitstream to confirm correct and allowable use of the various fields.
Vprove then provides all the detailed and specific information on the MPEG-4 video that the development engineer is likely to need. As examples, parameters such as motion vectors, MacroBlock types, quantizers, DCT levels, frequency of coding and bit usage are displayed in graphical, statistical and text form. This makes it easy and quick to do thorough analyses and performance comparisons of the type ‘was the compression better with this codec or the other one?’, and ‘by changing my codec/codec parameters, is the bit usage better or worse?’. Making use of the quantified information provided by Vprove allows the engineer to see how and where encoding performance could be improved, make changes, and then confirm effect of the changes.

During the development of Vprove, it has already aided the MPEG-4 work of several market-leading companies, and has already shown itself to save many man-months of engineering time.

Vprove is intended for companies involved in MPEG-4 development or use, in areas such as software or hardware video codecs, STBs and PVRs, video over the Internet, digital TV, cable TV, video conferencing, video security/CCTV or mobile video. Other applications of Vprove would also be with video enablers, such as network equipment providers and application/service providers.

This Press Release Sponsored by AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES

TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES

prove is unique new software that makes the job of optimizing MPEG-4 video compression and confirming MPEG-4 standards-compliance much easier, quicker and more quantitative.

The LG200 is a testing system that simulates real-world network conditions in a lab environment. UbiNetics has developed the system in response to demand from both infrastructure vendors and network operators as they ready their networks for commercial launch.

DAX Technologies said it has supplied network performance management software to Illinois Valley Cellular to support 3G deployment and network optimization activities for their wireless network in their coverage area which extends across an eight county area

After years of success, followed by a roller-coaster style hype and gloom, the wireless industry seems now to be adapting to the life of a regular industry with average margins.

It is reported that China Telecom Fujian branch is secretly testing the CDMA 2000 in Quanzhou City of Fujian Province.

The highly integrated microchip is the first to combine the key components of today's cellular phones and handheld computers onto a single piece of silicon - promising to bring advanced functionality, longer battery life and more innovative phone designs to mainstream phones.

Local press in Korea has confirmed that Korea Telecom will beam 9 TV channels to 3G phone users this month. The channels are beleived to include a music channel and a news channel.

The deal enables consumers to personalize their handsets with a wide variety of premium images in categories that include animals, lifestyle imagery, humorous characters, travel scenes and calendar-quality landscapes.

BenQ and Symbian Ltd announce that BenQ, a leading Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer, has signed an agreement to license Symbian OS, the global industry standard operating system for advanced mobile phones.

T-Mobile International and Nokia announced that they will co-develop innovative mobile services globally for the Nokia N-Gage game deck. The new device enables enriched interactive gaming by means of a wireless multiplayer platform for both local and remote gaming.

The UMTS Forum has confirmed the election of Jean-Pierre Bienaimé, Director of Group Technical Support at Orange, as its new Chairman, succeeding Dr Bernd Eylert, who ends his four year term as Chairman of the Third Generation mobile industry association.

I want more independent operators to enter the Norwegian mobile market. Increased competition will give consumers better and cheaper mobile telephony services, says Minister of Transport and Communications, Ms. Torild Skogsholm

It plans to approve licenses for TD-SCDMA, an original communications standard developed in China, as well as the WCDMA (wide-band code division multiple access) and cdma2000 standards now used in other countries.

Mitec Telecom announced that it has received orders from a major network provider to supply 800 MHz CDMA IS95 BTS micro base stations for supply to China and South America. The value of the contract is estimated at CAN $8 million.

SK Telecom Chief Executive Officer Pyo Moon-soo ( inset ) said the company's roll-out of third-generation (3G) mobile phone service is dependent on the condition of the economy.

KDDI Corp. and Okinawa Cellular introduce BREW, a new application platform for mobile phones, for third-generation (CDMA2000 1x) handsets, which offer high-speed data communications at speeds of up to 144 kbps.

The majority of UK corporate telecommunications infrastructure managers are intent on delaying deployment of mobile data applications until 3G networks are fully established, according to survey findings released today by Intuwave, a leading developer of mobile middleware software and services.

Calypso Wireless announced it has signed a 3-year, $500 million contract with China Telecom, a world class telecom carrier, for the delivery of Calypso's cellular broadband video phones.