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BBC Wants Help With Dirac Codec

Posted by michael on from the fawlty-towers dept.

Number Ten Ox writes "According to The Register the BBC wants help to develop their open source video codec Dirac. '[Lead developer Dr. Thomas] Davies said the codec could live on anything from mobile phones to high-definition TVs but not before a lot of further work is completed. For one thing, Dirac doesn't currently work in real-time. Davies also reckons that the compression offered by the technology could be further optimised. The BBC is working on integrating the technology with its other systems, but the corporation would welcome more help in developing Dirac.' Sounds like something worth helping with."

3 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. BBC rules! by orangeguru · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Compared to many other broadcoasters the BBC has a long and excellent record of producing great programms AND embracing the web/technology.

    Certainly a good 'partner' to support ... compared to companies like Real ...

  2. Re:dirac vs. theora? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No the BBC is NOT funded by the UK Government.
    The BBC has tax (i.e. the TV Licence Fee) raising powers of it's own - and is entirely independent of funding from government.
    If the BBC *was* funded by government it wouldn't be considered trustworthy. It wouldn't be the "gold standard" of news reporting world wide that it is.

  3. Re:dirac vs. theora? by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Have there been any comparisons? Do we really need two fully scalable open-source video codecs?

    Dirac is a next generation codec. It is also the only one using wavelets (like JPEG2000). Is there an argument for developing new codecs which compress better than current ones? Very much I'd say, unless you want all technological progress to stop here.

    Also - the BBC is funded by the British government. When did they get a mandate to spend money developing video codecs.

    They are a broadcasting organisation. Video codecs are very much part of broadcasting. They also did a lot of development on digital TV, which is soon going to replace all analogue TV by law in the UK. If they use this codec to put their archives up on the internet, then they certainly do have a good reason to do this development.

    I don't have a problem with government-funded "arts" but this seems a bit beyond the normal scope of things

    Is it? What about all that government funded science and tech research?

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.