Making video streaming possible
Imagine if I told you that before watching a three-hour 4K movie at home, you had to choose what you were going to watch two weeks in advance. Sounds crazy, right? But without video compression technology, it would take that long to download the movie. There would be no turning on your TV or tablet and hitting play straight away.
A leader in video technologies
Nokia is a leader in the development of video technologies, including video compression technology that makes streaming of High-Definition video possible. Our inventors have been heavily involved in the development of all market-adopted video codecs, from the H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC) standard in the early 2000s to the H.266/Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard completed in 2020. Each of these generations of codecs have halved the bitrate required compared to their predecessor without compromising picture quality, and make streaming possible for billions of viewers every day.
With over 30 years of research and innovation, our multimedia assets include key technologies related to video processing, coding, storage, display, user interface, and much more. So far, our leadership in this area has been recognized by five Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards.
This work continues today. For example, over the last year our researchers have made significant contributions to a new edition of the versatile supplemental enhancement information (VSEI) standard, which is intended to be used with H.265/HEVC and H.266/VVC video codecs, and to the explorations by the Joint Video Experts Team towards the next video coding standard, which is likely to be known as H.267.
We are also leading the way with volumetric video, a technique that captures 3D representations of people or objects from multiple camera angles so that viewers can move around or change their viewpoint in real time rather than being fixed to a flat 2D perspective.
We have developed a standards-based real-time volumetric video system (using V3C / MPEG Immersive Video standards) that aims for low-latency streaming over existing networks, enabling richer 3D video communication without needing entirely new infrastructure.
Virtuous circle of innovation
Patent licensing agreements enable companies to build on our proven technologies. Earlier this year, we reached a patent agreement with Amazon covering the use of our video technologies in Amazon’s streaming devices and Prime services. And, we have successfully concluded licensing agreements with five other streaming companies, including a new agreement signed with Starz last week.
Deals like this fuel the virtuous circle of innovation: we license Nokia’s innovations and contributions to industry standards to other companies so they can build on our work. In return, they pay royalty fees for the use of our technology, which we re-invest, along with additional investment, in developing the next generation of inventions.
Litigation always a last resort
While we always prefer amicable agreements, we stand ready to defend our intellectual property when needed. For example, we recently initiated litigation against Paramount in the US, Brazil, Germany and the UPC concerning the unauthorized use of our video technologies in their streaming services. Our preference is to avoid litigation, but Paramount left us with no choice. We hope that Paramount engages with us to conclude an agreement under which they will pay for the use of our technologies in their streaming services. And we remain prepared to pursue legal action against others who choose not to timely conclude licenses on fair terms.
Fast forward to the future
Looking ahead, our ongoing multimedia research and standardization work, as well as the licensing of these innovations will continue to power the next wave of multimedia experiences. Stay tuned for more exciting updates on our research milestones, licensing programs, and the technologies set to enable tomorrow's video experiences!
