Tag: HD

  • WhatsApp HD video support starts rolling out to everyone

    WhatsApp HD video support starts rolling out to everyone

    Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg teased last month the imminent arrival of one of WhatsApp’s most requested features, the ability to share HD videos. Although some Android and iOS users got the feature last month, the global rollout has only just begun.

    Today, WhatsApp officially confirmed that it had started to roll out HD video support on its messaging app. With this addition, WhatsApp users can finally send both photos and videos in high-definition format, although the feature needs some refinement.

    For example, no toggle would allow you to set WhatsApp to send all pictures and videos you want to share in HD format by default. You have to select this option every time you share a media file with one of your contacts, which is a bit annoying, but it’s better than not having the feature at all.

    If you’ve been sharing videos until now, you’ll notice that the resolution has been upgraded from 476 x 848 to 718 x 1280 pixels. Yes, you still can’t share videos in their original resolution, which more often than not is higher than 720p. Still, this is a considerable upgrade over the previous quality, especially since the size of an HD video is almost doubled.

    Meanwhile, WhatsApp is currently testing multi-account support, but we won’t know when it drops until it’s already here. However, if you’re running a beta version of the app, you’re probably already using it on your Android phone.

  • IP traffic set to nearly triple over next five years

    IP traffic set to nearly triple over next five years

    Global IP traffic is on track to nearly triple over the next five years as more than a billion new internet users come online, according to Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index.

    IP traffic is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 22% over the period of 2015 to 2020 to reach 194.4 exabytes per month, Cisco said

    APAC will account for more than a third of global IP traffic in 2020, the study predicts. Total traffic in the region is expected to grow at a 22% CAGR to 67.8 exabytes per month.

    By 2020, the company predicts that there will be around 4.1 billion internet users worldwide, up from 3 billion in 2015. Smartphone traffic accounted for 47% of total global IP traffic in 2015, and is expected to grow to account for a wide majority (71%) by 2020.

    Due in part to the rapid growth of the IoT, global IP networks are expected to support up to 10 billion new devices and connections over the five-year forecast period, bringing the total up to 26.3 billion, or 3.4 devices and connections per capita.

    Internet video will continue to dominate traffic, accounting for 79% of global internet traffic by 2020, up from 63% in 2015. Global networks will relay the equivalent of one million video minutes per second, Cisco predicts. HD and ultra HD video will make up 82% of internet video traffic.

  • Airtel Digital TV powers HD offerings with Harmonic solution

    Airtel Digital TV powers HD offerings with Harmonic solution

    Airtel Digital TV has deployed a compression headend solution from Harmonic in an effort to substantially improve the HD viewing experience for its customers.

    The high-density, scalable and HEVC-upgradeable video infrastructure solutions from Harmonic is expected to help Airtel Digital TV increase bandwidth efficiencies and significantly improve video quality while lowering operating expenses.

    The deployment is also expected to enable Airtel Digital TV to expand its DTH HD portfolio to over 50 premium channels, making it one of the largest HD offerings in India today.

    “Harmonic’s compression solution allows Airtel Digital TV to deliver superior video quality at low bit rates while adapting to next-generation video compression standards such as HEVC,” said Dan Taylor, general manager in India at Harmonic.

    “Our video infrastructure solutions help customers like Airtel Digital TV reduce OPEX and drive new business growth by simplifying the launch of additional HD channels,” said Taylor.

    At the heart of the headend solution is Harmonic’s Electra X2 advanced media processor, which promises high-quality, low-bandwidth MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 encoding of SD and HD video content for live DTH services.

    The Electra X2 media processors support a wide range of video formats and codecs for satellite delivery, including HEVC, simplifying operations and future upgrades for Bharti Airtel.

    At Airtel Digital TV, the Electra X2 media processors will be integrated with Harmonic’s ProStream 9100 stream processor and ProView 7100 integrated receiver-decoder (IRD), and controlled by Harmonic’s NMX video network management solution.

  • M1 trials HD VoWiFi over HetNet technology

    M1 trials HD VoWiFi over HetNet technology

    Singapore’s M1 has launched the nation’s first public native HD voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) trial using HetNet technology.

    The trial service supports calls to and from fixed numbers without having to use a separate calling app, and allows for two-way mobility between Wi-Fi and mobile networks for seamless handover.

    M1 is using smart network prioritization technology to ensure quality voice calls over Wi-Fi even during periods of heavy network usage.

    The operator is working with the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore on the deployment as part of the authority’s HetNet Trials initiative.

    The service is currently available to HetNet Trials users at M1’s Wi-Fi deployment sites in the Jurong Lake District. The company has deployed six HetNet hotspots throughout the district, at locations including train stations and bus interchanges.

    In addition to VoWiFi, M1 is working with IDA on the trial of Wi-Fi services on public buses.

    Last month mobile operator 3 Hong Kong launched a premium voice over Wi-Fi service that supports the use of up to five devices, including smartwatches tablets and PCs, along with a smartphone connected to the same account.