As the media industry increasingly leverages the benefits of IP-based remote and distributed production workflows, the challenge it faces is pushing a relentlessly growing amount of data through a fiber-optic pipe with a fixed bandwidth while preserving broadcast-grade quality.

Support for the lossless JPEG XS compression technology in HD, 3G and UHD video-format resolutions will allow users of Lawo’s .edge Hyper-Density SDI/IP Conversion and Routing Platform to encode, process and decode compressed SMPTE ST2110-22 IP streams.

Lawo’s aim is to provide broadcasters with the ability to leverage compressed streams as and when required in order to accelerate high-quality distributed content creation. JPEG XS support for .edge is a licensable option that relies on Lawo’s edge-computing and software-licensable infrastructure strategy. The ability to encode and decode JPEG XS right at the IP network’s edge means that uncompressed streams no longer need to travel to a processor somewhere on the (increasingly vast) SMPTE ST2110-based IP network, and on to their destination, thus saving bandwidth. The .jpegxs option for .edge will be officially launched at IBC 2023.

JPEG XS delivers broadcast-grade compression ratios of up to 30:1. This makes it ideal for WAN-based IP networks where bandwidth is typically limited, while the number of camera feeds and video streams keeps rising. JPEG XS (ISO/IEC 21122) provides visually lossless quality with sub-millisecond (<1 video frame) delay and is designed for latency-critical applications, such as live remote event productions over wide-area networks.

“intoPIX’s JPEG XS content production codec is a lightweight image coding system that processes video at the microsecond level,” explains Katty Van Mele, Director Business Development at intoPIX. “Real-world testing confirms that compression ratios in the range of 4:1 to 12:1 can deliver lossless video quality while considerably reducing bandwidth consumption.”

“For Lawo, support of JPEG XS has become essential to give operators the flexibility to maximize their bandwidth usage,” states Phil Myers, Chief Technology Officer at Lawo. “Increasingly, IP signals travel from one remote location to two or more destinations—and sometimes even back. This would require 100GbE or higher fiber-optic bandwidths for uncompressed signals, which comes at an increased bandwidth cost. With the .jpegxs option, Lawo’s .edge Hyper-Density SDI/IP Conversion and Routing Platform natively supports JPEG XS input and output right next to the source or destination. JPEG XS-compressed streams can be processed by our HOME Apps as they have JPEG XS native support built into their DNA.”

About intoPIX

intoPIX creates and licenses innovative image processing and compression solutions. We deliver unique IP-cores and efficient software solutions to manage more pixels, preserve quality with no latency, save cost & power and simplify storage and connectivity. We are passionate about offering people a higher-quality image experience. Our solutions open the way to new imaging workflows and new devices, reducing costs in HD, 4K or even 8K, replacing uncompressed video, and always preserving the lowest latency with the highest quality. See also www.intopix.com.