SMPTE Standardises GoPro CineForm Codec as the New Open Standard for Video Acquisition and Post Production
GoPro, maker of the Emmy Award-winning HERO camera and enabler of some of today’s most engaging professional video content, announced today that the core technology behind the GoPro CineForm Codec has been standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE) as the SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 video compression standard – the new open codec standard for video acquisition and post production.
The GoPro CineForm Codec is a high-performance video codec widely valued in video post-production as the industry’s highest quality compression format. It is well established in the professional filmmaking marketplace and has been extensively used in Hollywood feature films, including Slumdog Millionaire and Need for Speed.
SMPTE standardization of the GoPro CineForm codec as the VC-5 standard now means the professional production and post production community can access SMPTE-standardized codec technology for presenting high resolution imagery with a high speed, low-compute intensive workflow. The new VC-5 standard will provide a more efficient, cost effective and higher-performance workflow, delivering an 8x performance boost over the current JPEG 2000 format with higher resolution.
“SMPTE standardization of the GoPro CineForm codec as the new VC-5 standard is big news for the entire production and post production industry, as well as for GoPro and its customers,” said David Newman, senior director of software engineering for GoPro. “By further developing the VC-5 standard, we are building a new ecosystem for the industry in which we’re enabling cinema-level acquisition quality, while also providing cinematographers the workflow technology to finish their films. We are standardizing core codec technologies, and making them extensible to even support future camera formats and future post production workflows. This is a major milestone and a huge accomplishment for GoPro!”
The GoPro CineForm Codec supports RAW camera formats such as CFA Bayer pattern images as well as RGB and YCrCb with an optional alpha channel and sub-sampled color difference components. Participation by the broader video community in the SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 standard process will enhance the GoPro CineForm Codec to make it more suitable for a wider range of applications. Interested parties are also encouraged to join the SMPTE Standards Committee and participate in the ongoing development of the SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 specification. The group is particularly interested in feedback from video-editing professionals regarding their experience with video compression technologies and their requirements for use of a VC-5 codec in their video workflows.
The SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 Compression Standard Part 1 and 2, called the Elementary Bitstream, are available now from the SMPTE web site here https://standards.smpte.org/search?group-code=smptes&sortspec=date&submit… continuing work on development on the Standard Parts 3 – 7, which includes various color formats, multi-channel and metadata enhancements to the codec for 3D or HDR applications.
For more information on participating in the SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 development, contact either Edward Reuss (edreuss@gmail.com), chair of the VC-5 Drafting Group and co-chair, Technical Committee 10E Essence (TC-10E). Interested parties and also contact the SMPTE Director of Standards Engineering, Peter Symes (psymes@smpte.org). For more information on SMPTE,
please visit www.smpte.org or the SMPTE Standards page at standards.smpte.org.
About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®)
The Oscar and Emmy Award-winning Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a professional membership association, is the preeminent leader in the advancement of the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, worldwide. An internationally recognized and accredited organization, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 650 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines. The Society is sustained by more than 6,000 members — motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students — who meet in Sections throughout the world. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.
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About GoPro
GoPro’s versatile cameras and accessories enable people to self-capture immersive and engaging footage of themselves enjoying their favorite activities. From extreme to mainstream, GoPro’s HERO line of wearable and gear-mountable capture devices are transforming the way consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals capture, manage and share meaningful photo and video content. Based in San Mateo, California, GoPro’s products are sold through more than 25,000 stores in over 100 countries worldwide and direct via GoPro.com. GoPro branded content is shared and enjoyed by millions of people on popular media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube.
GOPRO and HERO are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. in the United States and other countries.