Netflix Releases 'Meridian' Test Footage To All Including Competitors, Open Sources Some Tools (variety.com)

Netflix has released 'Meridian' to not just all its 83 million subscribers, but to everyone. The company produced the title as test footage to evaluate anything from the performance of video codecs to the way Netflix streams look like on 4K TVs. But the company decided to make it to open to all -- be it hardware manufacturers, codec developers, or even competitors like Amazon and Hulu. From a report on Variety:Netflix is using a Creative Commons license for the release of "Meridian," which is new for an industry that isn't used to sharing a lot of resources. "They are in the business of exploiting content, not of giving it away," Chris Fetner, the company's director for content partner operations said. But for Netflix, it's just par of the course. Thanks to its Silicon Valley DNA, Netflix has long collaborated with other companies on cloud computing-focused open source projects. Now, it wants to nudge Hollywood to do the same -- and "Meridian" is only the beginning. This week, Netflix is also open-sourcing a set of tools tackling a common problem for studios and video services.

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[Anonymous Coward]

How long before Sony issues a DMCA takedown on it?

Re:I'll wait for the rips

[dinfinity]

With some DVD's the resulting x264 and xvid conversions didn't differ much in size (with equal quality)

I think this will benefit you: https://www.specsavers.com/

Way to polish one's image.

[Thanatiel]

This is an appreciated move, that will benefit everyone in the end.
Other Co-Dec developers will improve their work on the sample, and content providers will benefit from the resulting improved quality and/or spared bandwidth.
And of course, at the end of the chain, consumers will enjoy the improvements.

Too bad they were so efficient with their VPN ban.

Re:Way to polish one's image.

[houghi]

The VPN ban was not their idea. I am sure they are willing to provide anybody who has money. It was forced upon them buy the MAFIAA companies. The reason is that they do not care if you buy in Europe, India or the US. They will be making around the same amount.

In fact I could imagine that they would encourage it and use it as a business model. "Even if you are in country A, you can subscribe in country B". Turks living in Germany would subscribe to Turkish Netflix instead of not subscribing at all.

Re:Way to polish one's image.

[AK Marc]

The VPN ban wasn't their idea, but their effectiveness in doing it is. In one of the many trade agreements, NAFTA, TPP, TTIP, etc., someone should have put in wording to ban region coding. How is it "free trade" when artificial technical barriers are erected to replace physical ones?

Re:YouTube?

[AvitarX]

Maybe.

Alphabet can't put it on youtube, as it's a commercial service. A person can put it on YouTube, as long as they aren't participating in the revenue sharing, and a DMCA notice would have to be respected.

NC clause is hardly given away though.

Mmmeridian is a mmmovie

[BringsApples]

The 12 minute movie named "Meridian" was simply test footage that Netflix created in order to test different variables within Netflix's scope of development. That 12 minute movie is now being shared with all the world to use freely.

In a global media business, Hollywood is often producing dozens of versions for each movie. Not only do different markets require different subtitles, but there are also airline versions that come without riskier scenes, local content requirements like the need to pixelate all full-frontal nudity in Japan, dubbed versions and more. In order to cope with such differences:

Netflix wants to solve problems like these by using the Interoperable Master Format (IMF), an emerging standard for exchanging master files between studios and services like Netflix. In essence, IMF combines the raw video file with a set of instructions that tell Netflix which parts it needs to omit in which regions, and when it needs to use which audio files. “We used to get baked cakes,” said Fetner. “With IMF, we get all the ingredients.”

So good on Netflix for sharing.

Re:I'll wait for the rips

[JamesTRexx]

Already use glasses for which one needs good eyes. :-P

But you'd be surprised how low crf needs to be for some movies to avoid bleeding detail. Especially in dark areas.