So once gain we find ourselves in the position of being stuck between large forces all trying to have their codec adopted as the standard resulting in the usual confusion. On the other hand the “video industry” cabal have been developing their new codec to do the same and although it is a bit more than a “rework” of the existing H.264 codec they have dubbed theirs H.265 for the sake of naming continuity.

The main things holding it back are the lack of recording devices that offer this ultra high definition video, the lack of devices in consumer hands that can actually display at that resolution and finally… an agreed upon codec that can encode at the device end of the stick and decode at the delivery end.įor YouTube the requirement is that the codec they use must be able to deliver 4k at a streaming bit-rate that will not result in the end user sitting blankly in front of a screen watching the little “loading” logo endlessly spinning.įor this reason they, and by “they” I mean their owners, Google have been working on their VP8 codec to come up with an advance which will allow that whilst maintaining the promise quality. The deal is that 4k resolution video is here in both theory and practice but for the average consumer it is still down the road a piece. The H.265 code is the next generation of the H.264 codec… of course! VP9 is a development of the original VP8 codec created by Google as an alternative to the H.265 codec specifically designed for streaming video. The buzz regarding 4k video continues this week with YouTube about to showcase their new VP9 codec for 4k steaming next week. I did however manage to at least scrape up a few tidbits worth taking note of. Ok so this week it’s a continuation of the dearth of information as a result of the Christmas – New Year shenanigans.

4k green screen footage