ITU OKs Next-Generation Video Codec Standard

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) promises to use 50% less bandwidth than MPEG-4

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/25/2013 12:25:03 PM

A study group of the International Telecommunication Union has given initial approval to the next-generation High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, which promises to use 50% less bandwidth than MPEG-4 to deliver the same video quality and pave the way to Ultra HD.

On Friday, the Geneva-based agency of the United Nations said the ITU-T's Study Group 16 has agreed first-stage approval (consent) of HEVC, formally known as Recommendation ITU-T H.265 or ISO/IEC 23008-2. HEVC is the product of collaboration between the ITU Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

HEVC will "unleash a new phase of innovation in video production," spanning mobile devices to Ultra HD television, according to the ITU.

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