Watch a 6K Red Dragon sample video in 4K VP9 - the next generation codec for 4K YouTube streaming

[Andrew Reid]

Download 6K Red Dragon footage compressed to 4K at 15Mbit/s with Google VP9 codec.
To play the video you can use the latest VLC Player or Google Chrome

The H.265 codec has a rival - YouTube are currently testing the next generation "H.265 beating" VP9 codec for high quality 4K streaming.

The file you see linked to above is nearly 2 minutes of 4K clocking in at under 200MB. The quality is astounding for 15Mbit/s and that in a nutshell is what the next generation codecs are all about. The new codecs have the potential to give us ProRes 4444 quality for 1% of the file sizes and make streaming of 4K video over current internet connections a reality. The VP9 codec is developed by Google and already has the backing of Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, ARM and others. Interesting to note Sigma in that list, but I digress...

Read the full article here

[Liszon]

I would love to live in a future where every DSLR records to 10bit 4:2:2 codecs internally. In 2-3 years, this could be real.

[sunyata]

I kinda disagree with people like Douglas Trumbull when it comes to the future of cinema, I don't think bigger and faster is better. Maybe a new technology will come around that is more revolutionary than 3d in terms of full immersion, but as for 2d movie/video content, I like 2k at high quality (higher than I can get right now would be ideal), I don't want a screen 2x larger on my desk and I don't need to see a movie 2x wider and taller. I don't like IMAX for that reason, gives me a neck cramp. 

 

Sony lost over a billion dollars for fiscal 2014/2015 and I think they are going to be disappointed by 4k sales.

 

We need faster DSL in America btw before we can start using this content anyway, our speeds are terrible. 

[jgharding]

Fast secure internet connections for all need to be a priority!

 

This codec, being open, is good news for small innovative camera developers. Perhaps a truly modular camera will come our way soon?

[J.P]

We need faster DSL in America btw before we can start using this content anyway, our speeds are terrible. 

You need faster DSL to watch 15Mbit/s (megabit) content?

 

This is amazing stuff, you could easily use this with the <video> element already and provide fallback support for non-chrome. 

[Dan Wake]

I would love to live in a future where every DSLR records to 10bit 4:2:2 codecs internally. In 2-3 years, this could be real.

I hope it will be without aliasing and fixed pattern noise issues. 

[sunyata]

What is the point of 15Mbs 4k? Show of hands, how many people are sitting at a 4k screen right now?

[varicam]

In two years, many people will have 4k screens. 

[jgharding]

I think it's retina style screen that'll lead to 4K adoption. When all screens just are  retina screens, we'll all have a 4K screen without a choice.

[sunyata]

In two years, many people will have 4k screens. 

 

In 2 years you will have to have 8k. 

[varicam]

In 2 years you will have to have 8k. 

 

Yep. That's why we need VP9 now. :)

[NOC40]

I think it's retina style screen that'll lead to 4K adoption. When all screens just are  retina screens, we'll all have a 4K screen without a choice.

Just about any modern display these days IS a "retina" screen, whether it's on a mobile phone or laptop or PC. Apple seems to have created an amazing mystique around the term retina, when all it really means is moderately high pixel density compared to viewing distance.

[J.P]

BTW, this works in Firefox 28 and above too..

[Inazuma]

That footage is incredible

[Nick Hughes]

Just about any modern display these days IS a "retina" screen, whether it's on a mobile phone or laptop or PC. Apple seems to have created an amazing mystique around the term retina, when all it really means is moderately high pixel density compared to viewing distance.

An incredible percentage of people (including consumers of our content) are still using screens with low pixel density.

[alexcosy]

There's something i don't really get, when you mean ProRes 4444 quality, Do you mean that at 15Mbit/s we'll have 4444 12bits signal, or do you mean that to your eye, there is virtually no difference ?

[pablogrollan]

Just about any modern display these days IS a "retina" screen, whether it's on a mobile phone or laptop or PC. Apple seems to have created an amazing mystique around the term retina, when all it really means is moderately high pixel density compared to viewing distance.

 

Nope, not by far. Most PC displays are 1920x1080 or 1920x1200, some -but few- high end monitors are 2560x1440 and most TV sets are FullHD.

 

Retina refers to pixel density per square inch -regardless of how far you are- reverting back to the method used in print, since supposedly the pixel density is such that you'd find it hard to tell the difference between printed characters and screen-displayed characters. The bigger the display, the more difficult it is to make it "retina". The iPhone 4 was Retina due to the small screen, but the later released iPad with slightly improved technology was not. It took apple two more generations to bring Retina density to the iPad.

[GMaximus]

 

...it is likely H.265 will win the battle in the long run even if VP9 offers better quality for the same bitrate. On the other hand Google’s role in developing VP9 and the lack of licensing fees could really push it in front of H.265.

It happened once, when VP6 was better than h.263. Now you find your old VP6 video - and - ooh, how do i playback this?

Hardware support is a big deal.

[FilmBrute]

I would love to live in a future where every DSLR records to 10bit 4:2:2 codecs internally. In 2-3 years, this could be real.

 

don't for get the global shutter, 4K resolution and absence of moire!

[Luc]

What is the point of 15Mbs 4k? Show of hands, how many people are sitting at a 4k screen right now?

 

I do, for 11months and it's great. Till someone hasn't sat in front of a 4K panel, take their opinion with a grain of salt.

39" 4K on a desktop is great, driven in 'retina rendering mode' it's even better: i.e. text and UI scaled to the size HD and retina enabled applications rendering their content in native resolution: editing HD video in FCPX, it means your HD video is in native resolution in a quarter of the screen, and the UI elements are rendered beautifully at correct size.

The same for Adobe softwares: editing D800 pictures in Lightroom and PS CC in retina mode is great.

And the new generation of displays available now are making it easy to drive them at 60p (see Dell, Samsung, ...).