Mainconcept - IABM Member Company Details

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MainConcept AAC Encoder is the latest addition to MainConcept’s successful set of Plug-Ins to enrich Adobe products with state-of-the-art codec solutions. It offers professional AAC Encoding within the Adobe® Flash® Media Live Encoder 2.5 that only comes with Nellymoser or MP3 audio encoding as standard.

Get better quality with AAC

AAC is the emerging future audio standard that might replace existing ones, such as MP3. It is already supported by popular devices such as Apple iPod, Sony PSP, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, various cell phones etc. Some technical snap-shots:

• AAC and HE-AAC offer a significantly better audio quality while using the same bit rate as other audio codecs, especially for bit rates below 192 kbps.


• AAC may only need a fraction of the bandwidth than MP3 for your field of application (e.g. broadcasting concerts), thus resulting file sizes will be smaller too.


• AAC offers a significantly higher coding as well as compression efficiency and allows you a higher flexibility in usage than MP3.

Most importantly, saving bandwidth and having smaller file sizes means saving money – especially if your business relies on continuous video & audio streaming over scarce resources. Providing better audio quality to your audience and encoding efficiency only add to the advantages of the AAC encoding standard.

AAC was developed to be the successor of MP3. For more technical details on AAC you may refer to comprehensive public documents at Wikipedia.

Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder 3.0 (FMLE) already includes the MainConcept H.264 Encoder technology to create professional video streams. Now using the AAC Encoder Plug-In, it additionally supports AAC (MPEG-4 AAC & HE Audio), enabling you to directly create and stream Flash compliant F4V or FLV files that include both H.264/AVC video and AAC audio. It is the perfect companion for FMLE, as it enables you to generate Flash compliant streams using these encoders on-the-fly. And your files are always compliant with the latest Flash Player version.

Where to get the base application?

You can find more information about Adobe® Flash® Media Live Encoder and download information for the product at the following location: www.adobe.com/products/flash-media-encoder.html

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Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is the most powerful audio codec available today, representing the actual "state of the art" in natural audio coding. AAC has already been adopted by major standards organizations including the Third Generation Partnership Programme (3GPP), the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium (DRM), the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA), the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, the satellite-based XM Radio, the Japanese Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), and many others. The AAC Encoder and Decoder SDKs offer fast and high-quality encoding and decoding of AAC LC, HE v1 and HE v2 audio as defined by the ISO and MPEG (decoding also includes Main and LTP profiles), making it very easy to add support for this extraordinary audio formats to existing applications up to 7.1 discrete channels. Besides the MainConcept AAC Encoder that is mostly suited for file-based use-cases, the package also contains a Fraunhofer AAC Encoder which optimized for adaptive bitrate streaming formats.

Full Standard Compliance

Both MainConcept Encoder and Decoder components comply to the MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818-7) and MPEG-4 (ISO/IEC 14496-3 including Amd.1:2003 – AAC HE v1 and Amd.2:2004 – AAC HE v2) AAC audio streams specification, incl. support for AAC LC (Low Complexity), AAC HE v1 and AAC HE v2.

Support for up to Eight Channels Surround Sound

Depending on the AAC flavor encoding and decoding for different channel layouts ranging from mono, stereo, 5.1 up to 7.1 for the perfect AAC experience.

Various Output Formats

Support for common output formats like RAW (no header, used for multiplexing into MP4 file format), ADTS (Audio Data Transport Stream header, stand-alone AAC files), and LOAS/LATM (used for multiplexing into MPEG-2 streams)

 

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The introduction of the ARM-based Apple M1 chipset for the new MacBooks and Mac mini, as well as ARM processors already in production within the Windows PC ecosystem, brings us to an inflection point within the video production industry.

The average consumer may not know the difference between an ARM-based MacBook or PC and the x86 version. They will, however, know when software doesn’t work on their new hardware. At MainConcept, we are making the transition seamless by bringing our best-in-class video codecs to macOS and Windows on ARM processors.

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The Audio Codec Packages consist of various audio encoders and decoders for Low Level and DirectShow (Windows only) supporting different audio formats, such as MPEG, PCM, AAC, HE AAC, LPCM, MP3, AMR and WMA. They are compliant with many media, devices and workflows ranging from file to live transcoding, professional broadcast and streaming workflows up to consumer-based solutions for the CE business.

MPEG Audio Encoder/Decoder

Audio encoding into MPEG-1 (ISO/IEC 11172-3) and MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818-3) streams. The corresponding decoder additionally enables you to play back MP3, MPEG-2.5 and LPCM audio streams. MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Layer 3) is the most widespread format for audio playback currently on the consumer market. It is supported by almost every mobile player, cell phone etc.

PCM Audio Encoder

Support for DVD LPCM, AES3 PCM's and HDMV PCM (for AVCHD and Blu-Ray). The PCM audio encoder can be used with the muxer to put PCM audio tracks into DVD, MPEG-2 Transport and MXF Streams. It also supports AES3 382 for XDCAM HD and AES3 311 for IMX.

AAC Encoder/Decoder

Encode and decode MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818-7) and MPEG-4 (ISO/IEC 14496-3 including Amd.1:2003 – HE AAC v1 and Amd.2:2004 – HE AAC v2) AAC audio streams. The AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format is predominantly used with HEVC/H.265, AVC/H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 2 video streams that are muxed into the MP4 container, which is required for mobile devices and streaming workflows. The AAC Encoder SDK comes with a MainConcept AAC Encoder and a Fraunhofer AAC Encoder. The latter is optimized for adaptive bitrate streaming formats. The AAC Encoders as well as the AAC Decoder support up to 7.1 channels.

AMR Encoder/Decoder

Software-only AMR encoding and decoding. Components are available as narrow and wide band versions. AMR (Adaptive MultiRate) is a speech codec with variable bitrates which has been standardized by 3GPP and ETSI. It is predominantly used for mobile devices, such as cell phones together with MPEG-4 Part 2 or H.264/AVC video streams.

WMA (Windows Media Audio) Encoder/Decoder

Encode and decode audio streams into a WMA-compliant file format. By using the MainConcept ASF (Advanced Systems Format) Muxer, the WMA streams can be muxed with VC-1 video streams.

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The AVC/H.264 Encoder SDK for Intel® Quick Sync Video (IQSV) adds hardware encoding on Intel® Core™ Processors directly through the MainConcept API to customer solutions.

The MainConcept AVC/H.264 Encoder for Intel® Quick Sync Video acts as a wrapper that integrates Intel® Media SDK into the MainConcept API providing easy access to dedicated video processing in 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors and newer. Through the MainConcept Low Level API and DirectShow filter set, developers can simply add Intel Quick Sync Video functionalities to their applications. Even when running on platforms that lack Intel’s dedicated graphics hardware acceleration features, solutions developed with the MainConcept AVC/H.264 Encoder for Intel QSV still gain benefit of optimized, and multi-threaded software-based video encoding, tailoring performance to the system’s capabilities.

Hardware-Based Encoding

Hardware-based AVC/H.264 encoding compatible with Intel® CPU’s, starting from 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors and newer using MainConcept’s renowned API.

An SDK Within an SDK

MainConcept AVC/H.264 QSV Encoder SDK, like Intel Media SDK 2.0, gives developers a streamlined interface for handling otherwise complex coding tasks. Similar to Intel’s SDK, the MainConcept uses a dispatcher layer within their API to insulate developers from the complexities of supporting IQSV technology.

Automated Hardware detection

The optional AVC/H.264 Video Encoder Wrapper is able to perform automatic detection which MainConcept encoder is available on the system and which hardware is supported. It will enumerate all available encoders which can be used inside the application.

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AVC/H.264 is undoubtedly today’s number one video codec. Targeted to deliver top quality video to mobile devices, 4K or 8K TV sets, and used in professional filming and post-production, AVC delivers unmatched compatibility and the robustness of a mature codec.MainConcept AVC/H.264 SDKs are as flexible as the codec itself, offering feature-rich operation for OTT and Broadcast, low latency options for use with CMAF, as well as broadcast profile support for professional camcorder formats.MainConcept AVC has ultra-precise bitrate adherence for encoding on-demand video, meeting most quality and bitrate targets with one pass. Open source codecs often require two passes to meet the same targets–another reason why MainConcept AVC is proven to be 2X faster than open source.

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Now creators can render project timelines from DaVinci Resolve Studio 17 into professional camera formats from Sony, Panasonic and others.  With the MainConcept Codec Plugin for DaVinci Resolve Studio, the complete production chain—from filming, capturing, editing and playout—can remain in the same broadcast format so your workflow remains seamless and efficient.

MainConcept’s Codec Plugin allows native access to HEVC Main and Main 10 profiles, making use of our industry-leading HEVC/H.265 software video encoder. And, it’s fast—up to 20% faster than open source.*

With encoding in up to 8K resolution and 10-bit 4:2:2, our video encoder satisfies the needs of most broadcast and OTT use cases. It also supports AS-11 UK DPP project rendering directly from the DaVinci Resolve Studio timeline management tool.

Gone are the days of moving between different applications to finalize and deliver content. With direct integration into the DaVinci Resolve Studio user interface, creators enjoy a seamless experience throughout their project workflow while benefiting from new encoding formats.

*Source: Moscow State University 4K codec performance comparison

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The MainConcept Converter & Scaler SDK is a set of powerful components focussed on audio and video processing. The package includes highly optimized libraries for color conversion, image scaling, audio conversion and frame rate conversion targeted at applications for video encoding, transcoding, editing, processing and storage.

Image Scaling and Color Conversion

Optimized component that can perform both image scaling and color conversion in one single operation to reduce processing time.

Color Space Conversion

Large matrix of available real-time color space and bit depths up to UHDTV (4K), incl. color space support for BT.709, BT.601 and BT.2020.

Frame Rate Conversion

Allows to convert video frame rates on field level. Supports conversion of progressive and interlaced frames.

Audio Conversion

On-the-fly audio conversion PCM, DVD LPCM, HDMV LPCM and AES3 input/output data formats, incl. sample rate and channel configuration change.

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MainConcept ShowCase frees developers from integrating MainConcept’s decoding components into their own development just for feature testing. The evaluation process can now start right away by downloading our player. MainConcept ShowCase is available free and has all MainConcept DirectShow filters already included. It is the perfect way to evaluate MainConcept DirectShow filters since the player includes the same filter versions as our renowned codec SDKs.

• Decoder Pack MPEG-2


• Decoder Pack AVC/H.264 Pro


• Decoder Pack AVC/H.264 Broadcast


• Decoder Pack DVCPRO HD

MainConcept ShowCase offers a simple test environment for you to playback videos in numerous formats and streams:

• Blu-ray Disc*


• Adobe Flash F4V streams


• AVC-Intra Class 50 and Class 100


• DVD*


• Sony XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, XDCAM DV and XDCAM IMX


• Panasonic P2 DVCPRO and AVC-Intra


• Sony PSP


• Apple iPod


• AVCHD*


• …many more

ShowCase allows users to install all demo decoders separately without the need to install the player itself. You simply select the Demo Decoder Pack you need, in order to test it using Windows Media Player. If you do not need ShowCase, simply do not select it, and it is not installed. This makes it more convenient to evaluate MainConcept Decoder Packs using media players other than ShowCase.

* If a DVD, Blu-ray or AVCHD file contains Dolby Digital (AC-3), audio cannot be played back and will be muted.

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Apple ProRes is a well-established intermediate format used throughout the broadcast industry. Its high-resolution capabilities and wide chroma sampling support have made it the codec of choice of many facilities worldwide. Apple ProRes is natively supported on macOS computers and used to be available on Windows PCs via QuickTime.Now, Apple ProRes has been converted from a generic Apple format to an SMPTE approved document (RDD-36) and MainConcept is introducing a Decoder SDK which allows adding this exciting format natively to any application.While Apple ProRes Video will typically be wrapped into a QuickTime (MOV) container, another recent SMPTE document (RDD-44) allows embedding ProRes into MXF. The MainConcept Decoder SDK for Apple ProRes supports both file formats as well as Elementary Streams for a seamless integration and widest possible support of all flavors of ProRes. For HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, the MainConcept Decoder for Apple ProRes fills dedicated HDR-10, HLG and PQ-10 data structures. In addition, the decoder offers several HDR processing algorithms that allow real-time PQ / HDR-10 to HLG, HLG to PQ / HDR-10 and PQ / HDR-10 to SDR conversion*.Like all of the MainConcept SDKs, the Decoder SDK for Apple ProRes is available on Windows, macOS and Linux to enable efficient Apple ProRes workflows on premise and in the cloud.* HDR conversion is an optional feature.

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The MainConcept Dolby® Digital Consumer SDK supports Dolby's surround sound technology that delivers high-quality digital audio for up to 5.1 discrete channels (L/C/R/LS/RS/LFE). It is the worldwide audio standard found in DVD players, broadcasted HDTV channels, IPTV solutions, etc. The AC-3 standard is based on the ATSC A/52 Revision B specification. MainConcept offers Encoder and Decoder SDKs to create and playback audio streams that are compliant with Dolby’s exciting audio technology.

Support for up to Six Channels Surround Sound

Encoding and decoding for different channel layouts ranging from mono, stereo up to 5.1 for the perfect Dolby audio experience.

Large Number of Supported Media & Devices

Dolby (AC-3) is major audio standard that is compliant with numerous devices ranging from DVD / Blu-ray players, TV sets up to mobile devices and PC platforms delivering clear and excellent quality..

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The Dolby® Digital Plus Pro SDK supports Dolby's surround sound technology that delivers high-quality digital audio for up to 7.1 discrete channels. This standard is also known as E-AC-3. Dolby Digital Plus Pro is the sound for DVD’s successor Blu-ray Disc and the interactive formats BD-Live and BonusView, where additional content is streamed to you Blu-ray Disc device while watching content from an inserted disc, such as trailers, background comments, interactive games or other exclusive features. It offers a significant better quality in comparison to a similar bitrate when using other Dolby Digital technologies. It is the upcoming standard for HDTV channels transmission, IPTV solutions, A/V system support etc. It will be one of the major standards for satellite, cable and broadcast content delivery in the near future. Although Dolby Digital Plus Pro is a relatively new standard, the underlying base is the ATSC A52 Revision B specification. It is backward compliant to other Dolby Digital decoders.

The Dolby Digital Plus Pro SDK features the renowned Evolution Framework and Intelligent Loudness Correction to fulfill Dolby’s requirements for proper metadata processing.

Combined AC-3 and EAC-3 Support

The MainConcept Dolby Digital Plus Pro SDK components support both Dolby Digital (AC-3) as well as Dolby Digital Plus (EAC-3) audio for encoding and decoding.

Built-In Transcoding Functionality

Current Dolby Digital Plus Pro SDK comes with the new Dolby transcoding functionality that allows users to transcode EAC-3 and AC-3 audio to any other supported Dolby audio format (AC-3 or EAC-3) and keep the meta-meta that is available in the stream. User still have the opportunity to access the PCM data directly.

Support for up to Eight Channels Surround Sound

Encoding and decoding for different channel layouts ranging from mono, stereo, 5.1 up to 7.1 for the perfect Dolby audio experience.

Evolution Framework Support for Encoding & Transcoding

Making use of Dolby’s Evolution Framework in the AC-3 and E-AC-3 Encoder and Transcoder libraries for loudness processing to perform appropriate loudness metadata authoring. This enables Intelligent Loudness management for any Dolby stream.

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The MainConcept DV / DVCPRO Codec Packages support consumer DV 25 Mbps (IEC-61834), DVCPRO 25/50 Mbps (SMPTE 314M), and DVCPRO HD in 720 50/60p and 1080 50/60i (SMPTE 370M). DVCPRO HD delivers considerably higher picture quality allowing video data rates at 100 Mbps and YUV 4:2:2 colorspace. The Codec Packages include components for decoding and encoding DV, DVCPRO 25/50 and DVCPRO 100 frames as well as related PCM audio and MXF.

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For more than 25 years MainConcept has been recognized as the premier line of professional video codecs. MainConcept FFmpeg Plugins make improving video quality and performance fast and easy without complicated product iterations. Video developers can benefit from advanced features that aren't available with open source encoders, such as Hybrid GPU acceleration, using the familiar FFmpeg interface.

Easy to Integrate

Simple plugin approach to bring MainConcept encoders into your new or existing FFmpeg environment

Better performance than open source

MainConcept is proven to outperform open-source codecs, with familiar FFmpeg libraries and toolsets

Advanced features

Gain access to Hybrid GPU acceleration, ready-to-use presets, and more

 

 

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High-quality 4K60 real-time HDR conversion for efficient live production

to reduce costs and efforts for PQ/HDR-10 to HLG, HLG to PQ/HDR-10

and PQ/HDR-10 to SDR transformation.

The MainConcept HDR Conversion SDK offers flexible high-end HDR (High Dynamic Range) routines to enable conversion of PQ/HDR-10 to HLG, HLG to PQ/HDR-10 and PQ/HDR-10 to SDR. HDR conversion is targeted at both VOD and live production scenarios. Performance is tuned for 4K60 live conversion with minimal CPU utilization. This exciting feature allows HDR live workflows without requiring dual-stream cameras and video mixing equipment which is a huge cost-saver for smaller-scale production houses moving to HDR. The package additionally enables color gamut transformation from BT.2020 to BT.709 or BT.601.

Using the HDR Conversion SDK will dramatically reduce effort and cost of live HDR productions, because it does not require expensive hardware for generating content for every HDR flavor but only record once and convert many! Of course, the HDR Conversion SDK also allows offline transformation for distribution and content delivery.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Conversion

Instantly convert between HDR flavors HLG and PQ/HDR-10 for mixing and matching different sources in live transmission or file encoding.

SDR Downconversion

Re-utilize HDR content in SDR workflows by converting from PQ/HDR-10 to SDR or converting from BT.2020 to BT.709 color gamut with downscaling at highest quality so that HDR content seamlessly integrates into any production environment.

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The Hybrid GPU HEVC Encoder unifies MainConcept’s market-leading algorithms for bitrate control and quality software encoding with the unrivaled performance of NVIDIA's RTX architecture leading to the next generation HEVC processing.

HEVC/H.265 software encoding is a highly resource-intensive task. It requires high-end server systems to do 4K60p live conversion. And if you target at excellent quality, you will easily reach the hardware’s limits. Not to mention 8K or doing multi-layer H.265 real-time encodes on regular desktop system. However, there are various options for GPU encoding on the market, but users often claim that the quality is not acceptable. Of course, this always depends on the actual use-case. Wouldn’t it be cool if there is no more need to sacrifice quality for speed or vice versa?

MainConcept’s latest innovation in state-of-the-art codec engineering, the Hybrid GPU HEVC Encoder, bridges the gap between high-quality software and fast performing hardware encoding. It uses the best of both worlds! Combining MainConcept’s market-proven algorithms for rate control and quality encoding with the processing power of NVIDIA's RTX architecture, MainConcept Hybrid GPU HEVC Encoder guarantees both best-in-class image quality at tremendous speed and strict adherence to the target bitrate. If quality is not the primary goal, Hybrid GPU accelerated encoding delivers faster processing, allowing for more live channels per server, with less demand for CPU power when encoding which will result in lower investment in hardware costs. Furthermore, HEVC 8K live encoding using standard server hardware is not a dream anymore.

What else to say? Lots of, but it would be more convenient to get your hands on the free eval. version of the MainConcept HEVC / H.265 SDK and test Hybrid GPU HEVC encoding directly within your workflow.

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The JPEG 2000 standard (ISO 15444) provides a set of features that are of importance to many high-end and emerging applications in the digital imaging market, everything from digital cameras, pre-press, remote sensing, medical imaging, e-commerce and other key media sectors. Due to its advanced features, the MainConcept JPEG 2000 Encoder and Decoder SDKs optimized for the professional market, where superior image quality and editing features are of highest importance. DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) adopted JPEG 2000 for video encoding of motion pictures (http://www.dcimovies.com/) for replacing current movie distribution and presentation from movie rolls with high-res mj2 streams with superior image and sound quality.

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Today’s production workflows are heterogeneous deployments, i.e. running on local server farms, or in the cloud, or as hybrid solutions. No standard software fits all possible requirements for data transfer, platform integration, scalability, user interface or codec and streaming features. Thus creating an optimized broadcast workflow is a challenge. MainConcept 2GO products are the building blocks with the perfect balance between flexible usage and fast integration in your work environment or service. Bundled in an isolated container each 2GO product is unique, easy to deploy, scale and ready-to-use in any process. Whether you are looking for a live streaming feature, an archiving module, a distributed transcoder, or an on-demand packaging and distribution add-on. The usage scenarios for MainConcept 2GO are endless. And it’s as easy as download, install and use.

System Requirements

The MainConceptⓇ 2GO products are containerized applications that run in all environments supported by Docker. Known systems include Microsoft Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 & 2019, Linux and most cloud platforms from Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Support on Windows 7 and macOS is limited with Docker Toolbox and a 3rd party virtualization software.

Please note that on Windows you must configure Docker for Linux Containers, so you should use the CE (Community Edition) rather than EE (Enterprise Edition) version of Docker. Docker CE requires a full GUI to install, so for this reason, Windows Server 2016 users must have the full ‘desktop experience’ installed. The lighter-weight versions of Windows Server 2016 cannot be used because they do not have a full GUI. Other versions of Windows only have a full GUI. Due to some limitations in VirtualBox, MainConcept 2GO does not work if you are running the VM tool with Windows Server 2016.

Computers running MainConcept 2GO products need an outgoing internet connection via port 443 (https).

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Bandwidth-Friendly HEVC/4K Encoding

MainConcept HEVC SDK is a bandwidth saver compared to open source. According to the latest Moscow State University (MSU) codec performance comparison, MainConcept HEVC encoders showed 20% better bitrate efficiency than open source for fixed resolution video encoding. This makes MainConcept the leading choice for encoding HEVC/4K video content, allowing broadcast and OTT networks to save on bandwidth - with no loss in quality.

MainConcept HEVC SDK comes equipped with powerful features you won’t get from open source, including 8K/60fps live video encoding, Canon XF HEVC 4:2:2 10-bit decoder support, and advanced GPU acceleration to maximize video encoding performance on low-cost hardware, saving time and money!

Key Features

• 8K live


• 4:2:2 10-bit chroma for professional video


• Hybrid GPU acceleration


• HDR decoder with support for HLG/PQ and SDR conversion


• Canon XF HEVC 4:2:2 10-bit decoder support


• 30% encoding time savings with MainConcept’s patented Intelligent ABR (SABET™) technology

Save Time

• 20% better bitrate encoding efficiency than Open Source


• 2.5x encoding performance increase with Hybrid GPU acceleration


• Fast integration


• Codec optimization with MainConcept Professional Services

Evaluate for Free today

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MainConcept Live Encoder (formerly NeuLion MC Encoder) is a powerful, production-ready encoding platform that makes real-time content packaging easier than ever. With the ability to input SDI and IP sources, MainConcept Live Encoder facilitates the creation of Apple HLS, DASH-264, and DASH-265 compliant content in up to 8K resolution, in a variety of HDR flavors (HDR-10, HLG).

In real-time you can encode content into multi-bitrate and multi-resolution layers, for a complete OTT ready output that includes playlist generation. The powerful solution also offers a variety of prepared encoding presets for simplified parallel live encoding, upload to supported CDNs, and live archiving.MainConcept Live Encoder is available in both Windows and Linux, as a web-application or easily integrated using REST-API.

 

 

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The MainConcept MPEG-1/2 Encoder and Decoder Packages enable software solutions to read, write and edit MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams in high quality with exceptional speed. The SDK is ideal for consumer-level products and broadcast usage. The full-featured encoder provides access to all MPEG setting as encoder parameters.

The MPEG-1/2 Video Encoder meets the highest broadcast quality standards and includes professional features like transport streams, 4:2:2 10-bit support, 2-pass encoding, XDCAM Compatibility and more. The MPEG-1/2 Video Decoder processes all sorts of MPEG video streams. It offers a DXVA option to utilize GPU power for accelerated MPEG-2 playback on Windows with dedicated graphics boards. The decoder can process and deliver Closed Captions (CC) and other userdata.

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The Motion-JPEG Codec Package allows high-quality, real-time MJPEG encoding and decoding. It also enables you to view Motion-JPEG files created on another computer, even if you do not have specialized hardware involved. It can decode Motion-JPEG (Movie-JPEG, MJPEG, MJPG) AVIs, created with Miro (DC10, DC20 and DC30), FAST, Matrox and similar cards. It can now also encode JPEGs in a Zoran compliant way, meaning that the above mentioned cards can also playback AVIs created by the Codec. It supports interleaved MJPEG both for decoding and encoding. The MJPEG components can handle all major RGB and YUV formats as input and output formats.

Software Solution for Surveillance Systems

The MainConcept Motion JPEG SDK eliminates the need of expensive hardware, because it is perfectly suited for a wide variety of industrial areas, such as surveillance, security and medicine technology as well as in video conferencing systems.

Cost-effective alternative to Hardware Solutions

Our Motion JPEG codec pack is also perfect for manufacturers developing webcams, surveillance systems and other video devices. The codec offers a complete, software-only solution which eliminates the need for expensive compression chipsets.

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The MPEG-4 Part 2/H.263 SDK Packages are software components for video stream encoding into MPEG-4 (ISO/IEC 14496-2) and H.263 (ITU-T Recommendation H.263) streams. This format is predominantly used for environments where low bit rates are required, such as mobile streaming. The encoder supports the Simple Profile (SP) as well as the Advanced Simple Profile (ASP). Additionally, you can create H.263 streams that are required by various mobile phones. The corresponding video decoder is a software-only playback solution for content generated by the MainConcept MPEG-4 Part 2 Encoder or 3rd party encoders.

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Sending and receiving media data over networks supporting streaming protocols like RTP, RTSP, RTCP, RTMP, RTMPS, UDP, SDP, TCP, etc., and many Codecs and Formats provided by MainConcept.

What good is audiovisual media, when it’s only stored locally on a hard disk? Content becomes valuable when it’s being distributed, either locally in the facility for collaboration or globally for sharing and viewing. MainConcept Network Streaming SDKs enable media streaming and sharing in a variety of formats. Whether unicast or multicast, whether using RTP or RTMP for direct point-to-point connections or using UDP for custom streaming. Direct, unencrypted, or with added security layers, almost everything is possible using MainConcept Streaming SDKs.

The Network Server SDKs enables RTP, RTSP, RTMP* and now also RTMPS* streaming any media, in almost any codec from your application to any network client. Applications range from media exchange inside the facility, generating live feeds for broadcasting to Facebook Live ingest.

Its counterparts, the Network Client SDKs enable applications to receive and ingest media via RTP, RTSP, RTMP* as well as from Adaptive Streaming* sources using HLS, MPEG-DASH or Microsoft Smooth Streaming.

Seamless integration with MainConcept demultiplexers and decoders is guaranteed by providing access to the network components through the renowned MainConcept API.

* Features require optional licenses.

RTMPS

Create content and stream to Facebook Live directly from your application. The added security layer, now mandated by Facebook, ensures reliable and protected media connections for efficient live distribution.

Realtime Streaming for lowest latency

Utilize robust and proven realtime protocols to deliver content with minimal latency. Granular control over buffering settings allows tuning the behavior to meet any network condition and latency requirements.

ICECAST

Added protocol support for receiving audio broadcast streams via ICECAST easily enables ingesting of radio streams into any application.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

Whether it is MPEG-DASH, HLS or Microsoft Smooth Streaming, the Network Client SDK enables ingesting content from ABR sources into any application.

Complete protocol support

Single API for all supported protocols for fast integration

Monitoring and Buffer Statistics

Network components provide comprehensive realtime information about delay, buffer levels and network jitter.

IGMPv3 with source-specific multicast

Supporting latest specification to reduce network traffic and improve security

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Great content needs great delivery mechanisms to reach the broadest possible audience. Different devices, from mobile phones to 8K TVs, require different formats and different codecs. MainConcept’s OTT Content Creation SDK enables delivery of any content to any device, whether VOD, live or with ultra-low-latency. The rich feature set allows addressing all requirements for multi-language and multi-subtitle. Multiple audio codecs cater the requirements of content rights owners as well as ensure compatibility with any playback device.

Live content can now be delivered using CMAF to achieve end-to-end latencies close to broadcast and guarantee a near-live experience for all viewers.

CMAF Low-latency

Bring content delivery as close to the live edge as possible using CMAF Low-latency with chunked uploading to the server (or CDN) while preserving all features of adaptive bitrate streaming. Multiple audio languages, multiple subtitles - just delivered significantly quicker.

HLS and MPEG-DASH

Deliver your content to any device by using either HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) or MPEG-DASH formatting. Re-purpose the same content for both formats by using fragmented MP4 (fMP4) media and format-specific playlists.

Live and VOD

MPEG-DASH or HLS content creation for both live and VOD production workflows giving the user the freedom of choice for the right mode to deliver content to the appropriate OTT platform.

HEVC and AVC Support

Reduce bandwidth by using HEVC/H.265 Video in either streaming format. For compatibility with legacy devices AVC/H.264 Video can be added to the adaptive streaming set.

MP2 and fMP4 support

In order to cater for older devices with legacy HLS protocol implementations, formatting to MP2 Transport Stream is fully supported.

Multi-Audio, Multi-Subtitle

Using either AAC, Dolby Digital AC-3 or Dolby Digital E-AC-3 audio in multiple languages you can ensure that your content is not only seen, but also heard in optimal quality. Subtitles either as TTML/IMSC1, WebVTT or as closed captions ensure that what you hear is what you read.

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

Great content needs a great delivery vehicle to reach the broadest audience possible, and different device-types require different video formats and codecs. MainConcept OTT Content Creation SDK for GStreamer enables delivery of live and on-demand video content to any device.

With MainConcept OTT Content Creation SDK for GStreamer, you get a complete encoding and transcoding pipeline, including our industry leading HEVC/H.265 and AVC/H.264 video encoders, developed for seamless integration within the GStreamer API.

The SDK also supports dedicated hardware processing on Intel Quick Sync Video and NVENC HEVC, as well as Hybrid HEVC GPU Accelerated Encoding on NVIDIA RTX cards.

MainConcept OTT Content Creation SDK includes plugins to enable the creation of different GStreamer pipelines for generating MPEG-DASH and HLS content.

COMPONENTS:

• HEVC/H.265 Video Encoder


• AVC/H.264 Video Encoder


• Fraunhofer AAC Encoder


• MPEG-2 Multiplexer


• MP4 Multiplexer


• MPD Generator


• HLS Generator


• File Sink

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

SCTE-35 is a specification which defines “Dynamic Ad-Insertion”. Today a lot of OTT content contains hard-coded advertisements in the stream. These ads become outdated after a while and need to be replaced. In the earlier days this required re-authoring the titles and re-encoding media.

Dynamic Ad-Insertion addresses this problem. Inside an MPEG Transport Stream (TS) information is embedded which marks the start and the duration of a pre-produced ad. Using this information it is possible to replace the pre-produced ad in such a stream with fresh, up-to-date content from a server. MainConcept’s SCTE-35 SDK enables handling Ad-Insertion data by providing access in a user-friendly way using XML files so that establishing a connection with an Ad Decision Server or modifying Ad-Insertion information becomes a simple task.

Interface with MPEG-2 Transport Streams

Extract or insert SCTE-35 information from or into MPEG-2 Transport streams as used in DVB or ATSC transmission systems. The SCTE-35 information can be identified by Program Information Description (PID) and associated with individual programs in the stream.

Conversion to and from XML

Facilitate handling of Ad-Insertion information by using human-readable XML files which can be edited or used in conjunction with Ad Decision Servers for Ad replacement.

Heartbeat Information

Create Placeholders in a transport stream which signal that at a later point in time SCTE-35 information will be present at a certain PID in the stream.

 

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

AV1, a next-generation video coding technology adopted by some of the world’s most popular content streaming platforms, is designed to be 30% more efficient than other encoding technologies.*

Focused on OTT, AV1 is ideally suited for content delivery to web browsers and mobile devices. MainConcept seamlessly combines AV1 encoding with our proven MPEG-DASH multiplexing and formatting technology to greatly enhance streaming quality. It supports the common MainConcept API and adds useful features unavailable elsewhere.Working with Intel, the SVT framework is integrated into the MainConcept AV1 encoder, allowing it to run efficiently from edge to cloud on multi-core CPUs like Intel Xeon Scalable processors and Intel Xeon D processors.

* Industry estimates compared to HEVC

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

TotalCode Studio is an efficient and cost-effective transcoding solution, designed to meet the needs of almost any professional use case–from content producers, to broadcasters, OTT, consumer electronic manufacturers, and more. With many ready-to-use presets and advanced encoder settings, TotalCode Studio enables you to convert your video and audio into a variety of formats, including many of the latest standards – HEVC, Ultra HD 4K, AS-11UK DPP, MPEG-DASH, and popular distribution formats like Apple HLS. TotalCode Studio now offers powerful algorithms for PQ / HDR-10 to HLG HDR conversion, and vice versa, as well as full compliance with non-HDR devices by allowing PQ/HDR-10 and HLG to SDR conversion.

Many powerful features are included such as watch folder automation, batch list encoding, and audio and video filters (color correction, timecode insertion, and audio normalization). With a robust feature-set and the simplicity of a desktop application, TotalCode Studio is ideal for production environments requiring professional quality and performance.

 

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

MainConcept Transcoding SDK is an all-in-one production tool offering developers the ability to manage multiple codecs and parameters in one place. This streamlined SDK supports the latest encoders and decoders from MainConcept, including HEVC/H.265, AVC/H.264, Apple ProRes, DVCPRO, and MPEG-2.

The transcoder generates compliant streams across different devices, media types, and camcorder formats, and includes support for MPEG-DASH and Apple HLS adaptive bitstream formats. Compliance ensures content is delivered that meets each unique specification.

Transcoding SDK was created to simplify the workflow for developers who frequently move between codecs and output to a multitude of configurations.

Integrated SDKs

Preconfiguring the industry-leading MainConcept SDKs means developers do not need to focus on the codec settings and parameters, enabling fast deployment of file-based transcoding tools that can be controlled via command line or a server-side application.

Hardware Encoding powered by Intel and NVIDIA

AVC & HEVC hardware encoding using Intel Quick Sync Video and NVIDIA NVENC on Windows and Linux (if supported by the GPU). Hybrid GPU-accelerated HEVC encoding available on NVIDIA RTX, GTX and Quadro boards, delivering increased performance and at the same quality as the MainConcept software encoder.

Pre-defined AS-11 UK DPP Presets

Encoding profiles for AS-11 UK DPP SD (MPEG-2) and HD (AVC/H.264) for broadcast workflows, including the ability to load external XML metadata files for processing UK-shim compliant MXF files and optional generation of XML sidecar files.

Processing Filters and HDR Conversion

Includes ready-to-use video and audio filters for a variety of production environments and occasions, or work with your own filters by using the powerful Transcoding SDK Filter API for easy integration. For finishing, it includes HDR Conversion to multiple formats as well as the ability to create SDR content compliant with non-HDR devices.

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SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers) VC-1 has been adopted as a mandatory video format for Blu-ray®. The MainConcept VC-1 Codec Package offers fast encoding and decoding speeds in the Simple, Main as well as Advanced Profiles and all levels supported by the standard. The corresponding VC-1 Decoder is a software-only decoding solution for SMPTE 421M-2006 (VC-1) video streams. The filter can process VC-1 video streams produced by the MainConcept MPEG Demultiplexer or any other compliant filter, such as the Microsoft® ASF Reader.

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The MainConcept VC-3 Encoder and Decoder SDKs for Avid DNxHD and Avid DNxHR are software-only components enabling application developers to integrate with production tools like Avid Media Composer and Avid Interplay storage solutions or cameras. Avid DNxHD and DNxHR are based on SMPTE 2019-2006 (VC-3). DNxHD allows 8-bit and 10-bit depth with 4:2:2 chroma sampling of 1920x1080 and 1280x720 pixels at bitrates up to 220 Mbps. DNxHR extends the range of resolutions up to 4k (3840 x 2160 pixels) with chroma sampling up to 4:4:4 and 12-bit depth. The SDK supports wrapping and unwrapping DNxHD/DNxHR content in and from MXF containers.

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

Mission-critical delivery of reliable high-quality video with minimal bandwidth impact.

Internet browser support is a must have feature for any web-based application looking to engage more viewers. HEVC/H.265 is a top codec of choice for high quality video viewing, but HTML5 doesn’t support it, which degrades the user experience.WebAssembly, aka WebASM or Wasm, is a simple option to securely view videos on any web browser, anywhere, using the latest and greatest codec technology, without needing 3rd party browser plug-ins. WebAssembly lets you develop secure JavaScript (JS) self-contained apps that run in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari.MainConcept WebASM HEVC Decoder SDK is an ideal solution for browser-based workflows that require HEVC/H.265 preview, playback, editing or monitoring. With the MainConcept HEVC Decoder, you can build powerful applications with optimized performance for multi-threaded H.265 video decoding on any device with an Internet browser supporting WebAssembly. And, since WebAssembly is a binary format, the MainConcept WebASM HEVC Decoder does not require specialized hardware or software.Our WebASM HEVC decoder offers the same feature set as its powerful cross-platform counterpart, supporting 8-bit, 10-bit and 12-bit profiles up to 4:4:4. It comes with a simple tool for testing performance and conformance using different processing modes, and includes JavaScript samples for quick application integration.

Article: Secure Browser-based Video with WebAssembly