Intel Updates Media Server Studio and More
Intel has updated the Intel Media Server Studio, which helps codec and encoder/decoder developers accelerate time to market and optimize performance on Intel CPUs and GPUs. New features include support for high dynamic range (HDR) via BT.2020 color gamut, as well as accelerated performance and improved HEVC quality, including real-time 4K HEVC encode on select Intel Xeon E5 CPUs. Intel also updated its Video Pro Analyzer and Stress Bitstreams and Encoder products. The latter two tools will be available on September 14, with the Media Server Studio launching later in the fall.
The Intel Media Server Studio includes software development kits (SDKs), runtimes, and graphics drivers for encoding/decoding HEVC (10-bit 4:2:2/4:2:0), H.264, VP9, and MPEG-2 video streams and runs on Linux and Windows Server. The server comes in three editions with different price points, features, and support options.
The Essentials version costs $499, and includes the Media SDK for AVC, MPEG-2, VC-1, and MJPEG (but not HEVC), runtimes, graphics drivers, Intel Code Builder for OpenCL API, plus Intel Premiere Support. The Community version is free, and includes the same components without the Premiere Support. The Professional version costs $3,999, and includes the HEVC video codecs, with advanced tools like the Intel VTune Amplifier, Video Quality Caliper, and Premium Telecine Interlace Reverser, as well as Intel Premium support.
Intel’s Video Pro Analyzer lets developers visually inspect the decoding process and explore the structure of a coded video to quickly identify bitstream and coding mode decision errors, and to debug broken streams. The tool can analyze HEVC, VP9, and AVC bitstreams in MP4, MKV, and MP2TS containers. New in the 2016 Edition is the ability to visualize and debug HDR video via the BT2020 color gamut, and analysis performance has been increased by 37% over the 2015 version. Pricing starts at $4,999, with a free 30-day trial version available.
Figure 1. A screenshot of Intel’s Video Pro Analyzer 2016.
Intel Stress Bitstreams and Encoder 2016 lets HEVC and VP9 decoder developers test their designs with a range of encoded bitstreams that test over 90% of the syntax elements and decoding blocks. The package includes multiple encoded bitstreams, a reference decoder, and a random encoder developers can use to create additional bitstreams for additional testing. Intel doesn’t publish licensing for this product; interested parties should contact fred.fan@intel.com for price quotes.