Cisco assumes 7% annual improvement in video compression

In setting out their methodology for their VNI traffic forecast, Cisco note that they assume a 7% annual gain from improved compression (p9)

Cisco, Cisco Visual Networking Index:Forecast and Methodology, 2015-2020, 7 Jun 2016

Next gen V-Nova compression enables Sky to halve bandwidth for HD IPTV to 4 Mbps

Through a software upgrade of set-top-boxes, Sky Italia is reducing the bandwidth required for its HD IPTV services from 8 Mbps to 4 Mbps. The improvement is based on V-Nova's PERSEUS technology.

V-Nova, V-Nova PERSEUS™ and Sky in Italy lead compression innovation halving Full HD IPTV service bandwidth on existing platform, 19 April 2016

Conviva publishes data on mix of bandwidths used for video

Conviva finds that video streams with bitrates between 2 and 5 Mbps are growing share (at 34.1% in 2015). However, there are still few streams with bitrates above 5 Mbps (2.7%). The report also includes data on the mix of viewing by device type, suggesting that connected TVs dominate.

Conviva, VXR 2015 End of Year Edition and 2016 Predictions, 30 December 2015

Cox cite video bandwidths by resolution and codec

Cox (a US cableco) presented requirements for different resolutions using MPEG2 and HEVC (p17). For example, using HEVC:

• 18-30 Mbps for 4K
• 3-8 Mbps for HD
• 1-2 Mbps for SD

Cox Media, HbbTV Symposium : USA Update, 8 December 2015

AD Little's view on video bandwidth

In a study for French telecoms operators, AD Little report:

• 1-5 Mbps for YouTube
• 2-5 Mbps for Netflix (SD or HD)
• 25 Mbps for 4K

AD Little, Etude économie des télécoms 2015, 12 November 2015

YouTube says 360 degree video requires 4-5x the bandwidth of traditional YouTube video

Quoted in Gizmodo, Anjali Wheeler of YouTube says 360 degree videos take up 4 to 5 times as much bandwidth as a traditional YouTube video.

Gizmodo, YouTube's Ready To Blow Your Mind With 360-Degree Videos, 13 March 2015

Arris cite video bandwidths by resolution and codec

Arris (a telecoms equipment vendor) discuss a variety of drivers of bandwidth, and offer a useful table (page 15) of needs for different video resolutions using different codecs - for instance 12-20 Mbps for 4K using HEVC/H.265

Arris, Is Nielsen ready to retire, 27 March 2015

Ornage summarises successive generations of video resolution and codecs

In this presentation Orange plots the required bit rates of different video standards from VHS to UHD-1, and the bit rates required for each given different codecs. Orange forecast 20 Mbps for UHD-1 in 2015.

Orange, Brainstorm on video coding standards, 21 October 2014

Ericsson views on bandwidth by video resolution and codec

Ericsson presented requirements for different resolutions using MPEG2, AVC and HEVC (p23). For example, using HEVC:

• 8-25 Mbps for 4K
• 2.5-4.5 Mbps for HD
• 1-1.8 Mbps for SD

Ericsson also discuss rates of improvement in compression, roughly 50% every ten years (or 7% annually)

Ericsson, High Efficiency Video Coding, 13 August 2014

15-20 Mbps for UHD TV, per KT

Korea Telecom estimates that Ultra HD TV requires 15-20 Mbps, and HD 4 Mbps

Netmanias consulting, Korea Communications Review, 4 July 2014

Zetcast suggest 9% annual improvement in codec efficiency

In this report for UK regulator Ofcom, Zetacast suggest that the bitrate required to achieve a given video quality halves every 7 years - or an annual 9% improvement.

ZetaCast, Technical Evolution of the DTT Platform, 28 January 2012