NAB, VVC, 8K, FFmpeg Plugins and Industry Collaboration

Collaboration is a hallmark of the broadcasting, media and entertainment business, and nowhere is that truer than in technology. MainConcept has been part of that legacy for the past three decades. So much so that over 90% of professional video workflows use our codecs. And now, we are looking ahead to the next 30 years!

Is MainConcept really 30 years old?

We turned 30 years old in January of this year! As we celebrate, we are proud to provide post-production and broadcasting professionals with a comprehensive library of codec software along with the deep expertise of some of the industry’s most experienced development, support and professional services engineers. Over the past few decades, MainConcept has managed to retain some of the brightest in the industry and to develop long-lasting relationships with other innovators in the digital audio and video industry, including those such as Avid, Sony, Panasonic, Telestream, Wowza and many, many more.

What did we announce prior to NAB?

Prior to NAB, MainConcept announced not only what we would be talking about at the show (codec-based advertising technology and immersive broadcasting) but also our new and updated products that were soon to be widely available. This included the new MainConcept SDK Library that is quite mature at version 14 with a VVC encoder and decoder (full of potential with 40% improved compression¹ and 8K60 streaming capability²).

Also of note was the new VVC Encoder plugin for FFmpeg. If you want to learn more about VVC (Versatile Video Codec/H.266), check out our webinar from November 2022, VVC: The Latest in Video Codec Technology, or this blog post. You can also download a free demo version.

In addition, both MainConcept and Fraunhofer IIS announced that MainConcept Live Encoder now supports MPEG-H Audio and MainConcept also offers an FFmpeg Plugin to support Fraunhofer’s industry-leading MPEG-H Audio. The xHE-AAC audio plugin has been updated, adding live encoding. All of these plugins were made available to the public last week. As with all MainConcept products, you are invited to apply for a free trial for any of our FFmpeg plugins.

Why does MainConcept support FFmpeg?

As a pioneer in enabling digital video and audio workflows, we recognize the importance of creating affordable plugins so users can bring advanced capabilities to their projects and infrastructure built using the FFmpeg open-source software.

While we are a business that primarily licenses encoding and decoding technology to large organizations from Adobe to Zeiss, we also look at the overall market needs and continue to provide the tools that industry professionals and students need.

What collaboration was in the NAB Show spotlight?

Collaboration was a common theme throughout the expo floor and in sessions at the 100th Anniversary NAB Show. For MainConcept, it meant that our technology and expertise was showcased in several other areas including:

• In the Fraunhofer booth, xHE-AAC and MPEG-H were demonstrated using the MainConcept Content Creation Lab
• BBright, MainConcept and Advanced HDR by Technicolor showed SL-HDR1 and dynamic metadata management for playout at the UltraHD Forum booth in the Future Park
• V-Nova showcased LCEVC products in the MPEG-5 & LCEVC booths
• Thomas Kramer, our VP of Strategy & Business Development, was one of the distinguished panelists for the 8K Association’s Next-Generation Codecs for 8K session

What’s next for MainConcept?

While I can’t predict the next 30 years, I can share what we will be focusing on between now and IBC 2023 in Amsterdam:

• Exploring the possibilities for codec-based advertising technology
• Collaborating with partners such as Globo for immersive broadcasting experiences like what you saw with FIFA World Championships and 2023 Carnival
• Continuing to drive efficiency of and add features to VVC/H.266