Elecard CodecWorks Encoder

CodeWorks Encoder is a software application targeting system integrators, who want to build ready-to-use encoding and transcoding solutions with market leading video quality, unachievable for any hardware based encoders.

Compliant with ISO/IEC 14496-10:2005 international specification, CodecWorks Encoder delivers highest quality with guaranteed interoperability with standard software and hardware players and Set-Top Boxes.

Flexible design based on software components empowers system integrators to build encoding solutions ranging from systems that handle up to 40 DVB-H compatible streams to full HD 1080i/p. Latest product versions provide superior quality and robustness thank to NVIDIA CUDA technology that opens new possibilities for graphical processors optimization and DirectShow filter Elecard ClearWork that implements denoise feature.

Product highlights

• Highest video quality, unachievable for hardware solutions
• Variety of input and output formats and interfaces
• Cost-effective solutions for Telco, IP, HFC operators who need to upgrade to the new AVC format
• Utilization of all graphic adapters available in the system and further speed improvement using NVIDIA CUDA technology
• Flexible adjustment of encoders provides the encoded video compatibility with any playback devices
• Support of file encoding mode allows user to select optimal settings and create the best broadcasting profile
• Logo- and ad-insertion, subtitle transcoding (dvb or teletext subtitles can be chosen for overlay during transcoding)
• Mechanism for quick back up (switching to a reserve server takes from 1 to 2 seconds)
• Centralized control over several encoding servers

Features

• High quality real time HD & SD MPEG-4 part 10 AVC/H.264 encoder provides DVD quality video at bit rates from 1.5 Mbps for SD and from 5 Mbps for HD
• High quality real-time HD & SD MPEG-2 encoder provides DVD quality video at bit rates from 3 Mbps for SD, from 9 Mbps for HD
• High quality AAC encoder provides high quality audio at bit rates from 64 Kbps
• High quality MPEG-1 layer II encoder provides CD quality audio at bit rates from 160 kbps
• Baseline, Main, and High profiles, up to Level 5.1 support
• SDI*, Composite, Component and Ethernet IP inputs
• Ethernet IP outputs
• Compatibility with existent software and hardware players (STB decoders)
• Progressive and interlaced encoding through both PAFF and MBAFF
• Advanced CBR and VBR rate control fully compliant with HRD model perfectly suits the needs of real-time data encoding and delivering through channels with constant and variable bandwidth
• Look-ahead video analysis with advanced scene change and transition detection
• Three modes of adaptive quantization to ensure highest visual quality
• Video preprocessing – cropping, resizing, deinterlacing, logo overlay
• Automatic noise reduction for maximum picture clarity, full access to settings
• Denoising in brightness and color channels of video data
• Additional video smoothing for further low bitrate encoding
• Support of MPEG-2 TS broadcasting via UDP and RTP
• Advanced user interface allows full control over encoding parameters, including resolution, interlaced and progressive coding, bitrate, frame rate, GOP structure, motion estimation, adaptive quantization, rate-distortion optimization, etc.

What's new in 3.2

• New stylish GUI
• Better picture quality thank to Elecard ClearWork filter and NVIDIA CUDA technology
• Encoding latency decrease
• Teletext support
• Improved mechanism of creating advertisement insertion scenarios
• PCM multiplexing into Program Stream
• Automatic signal loss handling

Approximate performance characteristics for 2 x Xeon X5355 (Quad-Core, 2.66 GHz) platform:

• AVC SD MP@3.1 (3.5mbps) - 5 channels
• AVC HD MP@4.1 (15 mbps) - 1 channel
• MPEG-2 SD MP@ML (6.0mbps) - 8 channels
• MPEG-2 HD MP@HL (15 mbps) - 2 channel

Under development

• DVB-ASI output
• Broadcasting of elementary streams
• Web-based management interface
• Teletext subtitles conversion into DVB subtitles