XAVC: An advanced Video Compression System for Broadcast and Cinematographic Production Applications

1) Introduction In 2003 Sony introduced the use of MPEG-2 video compression for broadcast production applications in the family of Optical and memory-based tapeless solutions known as XDCAM. Today, with more than 400,000 devices, encompassing from EFP/ENG camcorders to studio record/play-back decks, servers and complete suites of editing systems and powerful workflows, XDCAM has become the most used solution for HDTV ENG/EFP and program production applications all over the world. Furthermore, as it was predicted in the initial stages of deployment, the pace of advancing signal processing techniques permitted to commoditize the manipulation of the inter-picture video compression techniques of the MPEG-2 codec. These processes were once considered too complex and costly for the hardware and software computing platforms of the day.