isovideo Press Release


isovideo Offers a Breakthrough Solution to Transform Interlaced Video for IPTV and UHD/4k

(Beaverton, Oregon - January 10, 2014) isovideo, an innovative start-up company in video processing technology and services, today announces a breakthrough solution for content owners to transform their current productions and vast archives of interlaced video assets for highest quality progressive presentation. The solution utilizes Viarte, isovideo's proprietary and state-of-the-art GPU accelerated, standards conversion/transcoding server. Recently, Viarte speed was improved considerably by making use of CUDA GPU streams. Furthermore, Viarte's deinterlacing quality has taken another asymptotic step towards perfection since its first release, such that subsequent enlargement by Viarte's sharpening scaler allows very high quality conversion from interlaced SD to 1080p, or 1080i to 4K. This processing allows SD material to be watched at 2x the display picture height instead of the recommended 3x. Similarly, 4K from 1080i60 can be viewed at 1.2x picture heights, so larger displays can be used for the typical 7-8 feet viewing distances in most households.

More than 60% of video today is interlaced, which is still prevalent in many studio and distribution systems, and will be for some time to come. High quality deinterlacing allows this content to penetrate the progressive world of IPTV. Furthermore, as 4K TVs become more common, conversion quality from smaller formats will become the major long-term gating issue in providing enjoyable access to older material, via online streaming, OTT, Blu-Ray, and even theatrical presentation. Viarte allows efficient, high quality conversion to all the frame sizes and frame rates needed for distribution.

Viarte was one of five 2013 IABM/NAB Game-Changer awards winners. Up until recently, no interlaced video could be transformed for presentation on the big screen for theatrical movie presentation. Viarte's breakthrough advancement in standards conversion technology leads the change. Viarte was used for footage conversion (59.94i to 23.976p) in two times Academy-Award winning director Ron Howard's "Made in America" after comparing with several well-known existing solutions in the field. The resulting conversions of over 600 short clips were carefully examined, and redos have never been requested.

Viarte's motion compensated (MC) deinterlacer is the only technology that offers GPU-accelerated realtime HD throughput with 100% vertical resolution, no visible flicker, and a substantial 17% average reduction in HEVC/H.264 bitrates. Viarte's MC frame-rate conversion offers smooth and clean video for any frame-rate in common use. Its adjustable, accurately simulated motion blur reduces playback motion judder when converting from higher to lower frame-rates. Added motion blur has the further benefit of significant savings in compressed bandwidth with subsequent H.264/HEVC compression. Viarte's video scaler is the fastest, highest-quality GPU-based video scaler and rotator available, with natural-looking edge enhancement, and absolutely no ringing.

Viarte unifies these breakthrough advancement in standards conversion technology with an unique server architecture. Viarte provides highly automated, streamlined execution 24/7, from multi-file copying (up to 2000 input files in a single command), via optimized pipeline processing, to various multi-files/destination delivery options, including fast FTP file push. Viarte processing supports multi concurrent up/down/cross conversions between interlaced or progressive video/film, with any combinations of frame-rates, aspect ratio and resolutions. Multiple codecs and container types are supported.

As an example, Viarte can be setup to simultaneously convert up to 2000 HD/SD (1080i59.94/50, 720x480i59.94) files at once into various progressive formats with various combinations of output codecs (Prores, H264, etc) and containers (mp4, mxf, mov):


As another example, high quality uncompressed interlaced HD video such as 1080i59.94 can now be converted to:


"With Viarte, Content owners can now tap previously unrealized revenue through new distribution channels via IP/Blu-Ray/UHD/4k platforms using Viarte server", said Keith Slavin, CTO of isovideo. "In addition, they can save significantly on compressed H.264 network bandwidth". To help quickly test drive the benefit of Viarte conversion, isovideo also offers fast-turn around Viarte based conversion services and with no obligation free trial.

About isovideo:
isovideo is an innovative start-up company in the digital media technology and servicing industry. We specialize in GPU accelerated, video processing systems and services for TV/film, sports networks and online media production / distribution companies. isovideo offers 2013 IABM/NAB Game-Changer Award-winning Viarte standards conversion/transcoding server systems, and best quality and fast turn-around multi-format content transformation services. isovideo's superior quality software tools includes a pixel-accurate, motion-compensated, real-time frame-rate converter, 100% full vertical resolution deinterlacer, a super-fast highest quality video scaler and super-fast 2x lossless compressor.