MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0 ships four updates that address real bottlenecks in broadcast and encoding workflows: faster AVC/XAVC-Intra encoding, a more complete EVA pipeline, leaner HEVC live encoding, and a finished MPEG-H audio chain.
AVC/XAVC-Intra: Up to 60% Faster
Broadcasters are moving from XDCAM (MPEG-2) to XAVC (AVC) for live encoding. XDCAM has neither native 1080p nor 4K progressive support at 60 frames per second, nor 10-bit path, which rules out HDR delivery. XAVC solves that, but live XAVC encoding demands more from an encoder: real-time performance without a bigger hardware bill to match.
The MainConcept AVC Encoder is built for exactly that. With MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0, a new optional configuration delivers up to 60% faster encoding while maintaining high visual quality at the high bitrates used for XAVC delivery, with a minor quality trade-off. For teams planning their XDCAM-to-XAVC migration, this offers significant performance improvement. For XDCAM customers who haven't yet migrated, the software is already there, and it's faster than before.
Easy Video API: One Platform For Your Entire Pipeline
Building a video encoding pipeline usually means stitching together decoding, scaling, encoding, and hardware acceleration from different vendors, each with its own API and its own failure points. Easy Video API (EVA) replaces that with a single platform that handles end-to-end decoding, scaling, and encoding, so teams can build on a finished pipeline instead of assembling one from parts.
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Scaling and color space conversion run through MainConcept's Universal Color Converter (UCC), built to preserve quality through every rendition, not a basic resizing step bolted on. With MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0, that full pipeline now also runs entirely on NETINT VPUs (x86) and NVIDIA GPUs (Linux Arm), on top of existing AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm support, keeping every stage off the host CPU when hardware acceleration is available. The platform is what matters: EVA runs on what's already in the rack and the integration work it eliminates is the same regardless of which hardware sits underneath.
HEVC Live Encoding: More Channels Per Server
Running multiple live HEVC channels on one server means competing for CPU resources, and encoding instances limit how many channels a box can actually handle. MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0 cuts HEVC encoder thread usage by more than 50%, reducing CPU load by roughly 10% per stream. Thread affinity allows each encoder instance to pin to its own dedicated cores, so multiple instances can run cleanly side-by-side instead of competing for the same resources. For infrastructure leads running live channels at scale, this facilitates more concurrent channels on hardware they already own.
MPEG-H Audio Decoder: Complete Contribution To Emission Chain
MPEG-H Audio workflows split into two stages: high-bitrate contribution audio captured at the source and compressed emission audio delivered to TVs, set-top boxes, and mobile. MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0 adds the MPEG-H Contribution Decoder, connecting those stages in one workflow for the first time. A stadium encodes contribution audio, a studio decodes it, then re-encodes it for emission; all on MainConcept technology, enabling immersive, object-based audio delivery.
The format has real regional momentum behind it. MPEG-H Audio is part of the ATSC (North America), DVB (Europe), TTA (South Korea), and SBTVD (Brazil) broadcast standards. South Korea's terrestrial UHD service already broadcasts it, and Brazil has selected it as the mandatory audio system for its next-generation DTV+ service. MainConcept is deep in the mix, collaborating across the industry to deliver real, immersive audio globally.
Try It Today
Four updates, one release: faster live AVC/XAVC encoding, a more complete EVA pipeline, denser HEVC channel counts, and a finished MPEG-H contribution-to-emission chain. Each addresses a different point in the workflow, but the throughline is the same: more capability on hardware that teams already have available. MainConcept Codec SDK 17.0 is available now.
