Lockdown or otherwise, use less bandwidth for the same OTT experiences
Gopichand Katragadda
Founder and CEO at Myelin Foundry; Independent Director for Bosch Ltd, Asian Paints, and ICICI Securities; Past Group CTO, Tata Sons; Past MD, GE JFWTC; Chartered Engineer (UK)
The EU Commissioner, Thierry Brenton, has asked Netflix to stop showing High Definition (HD) videos to unclog bandwidth and to ensure internet access for all. This measure is a recognition of increased video consumption by the home locked subscribers in the face of COVID-19. In India, Over-The-Top (OTT) content providers, in a bid to reduce the internet congestion, have unanimously decided to cutdown HD (1080p & 720p) bitrate to SD (480p) until April 14 (read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/google-netflixhotstar-tiktok-and-others-to-cease-hd-content-in-india-over-coronavirus-817539.html).
A full HD (1080p) Netflix movie is purported to consume 3GB of data per hour versus a Netflix Standard Definition SD (currently reported at 600p vs industry definition of 480p) movie which consumes 1GB of data per hour of video. Of course, depending on the device, Ultra HD 4K and 8K only further significantly increase the demand on the bandwidth. Netflix has responded by streaming the resolutions the customers have paid for, while lowering the quality to drop the bandwidth consumed.
We are very happy to report that at Myelin, we have developed Edge AI technology that enables SD streaming while providing HD experiences on the device screen. This is accomplished by scaling the resolution and quality of the video on the device based on AI inferencing. In layman’s terms, the AI engine uses training on a large volume of SD and HD videos to mathematically compute a generic transfer function for SD to HD conversion. The trick is to be able to accomplish AI inferencing on a live stream and on the edge device, which is where the Myelin team has created unique capabilities. Myelin’s technology is important now, but also into the future as OTT streaming becomes mainstream with 5G.
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Technology Leader | Software Architecture | Embedded Systems | Technology Strategist | People & Culture Leader
4 年Great Initiative !
Strategy, Technology Innovation, Product & Process Development, Change Management, Higher Education, CSR & Sustainability Consultant
4 年Congratulations, any effort in the direction of optimized utilization of bandwidth yet superior end user experience is welcome. As more and more video content are expected to be leveraged for inclusive services in a country like India. This makes sure ICT is not just the tool for the privileged & affluent but a true affordable enabler of even the impoverished or disadvantaged
I personally started with TELEX days in 90's, 1200 BPS dial up MODEM. We have come a long way. The game completly changed when telecom companies started offering 1Gb/Day and broadband services offering 500Gb @3999. Application of Internet chaneged from Business and Education to Entertainment.
Founder Technologist at Trikal Analytics LLP , formerly GE, Bently Nevada & Tata R&D
4 年‘ Needs fill all and any available bandwidth ‘ is the new Parkinson’s law . Bandwidth demand is the only non decreasing commodity . So anything that ‘expands ‘ bandwidth in place is the new age gold mine !
I help ENVISION a digital future, & ACCELERATE transformation | Workshops, coaching, tools and frameworks | Keynote speaker | Former R&D executive | Former Professor | Author |
4 年Brilliant