Background
The AccessGrid currently supports image resolution of 352x288 pixels
(H.261). We have previously done some work in this area using JPEG
video (see JPEGVideoService
page) which enables a 704x576
pixel stream. However the encoding overhead is somewhat prohibitive and
so this is not widely deployed in the AG community.
Project
In this project we will:
- expand the underlying video streaming services in the existing AccessGrid infrastructure via the addition of new DV and MPEG2 codecs, enabling the use of higher quality video formats, namely
- DV (720x576 pixels)
- HDV (1440x1080 pixels)
Provision of high quality video formats is accompanied by
the deployment of high-resolution video capture devices such as HDV/DV
cameras capable of providing high quality images for AccessGrid
collaborations.
In addition to new formats and codecs being introduced to the
AccessGrid infrastructure, there are a number of parallel development
processes which aim at improving existing video conferencing
services. Examples include integration of
a fully functional H.263 codec with the ability to support a large
variety of image dimensions. Video capturing and rendering mechanisms
with greater robustness and efficiency are also being investigated.
Current Status
Please see the Project Details page for an in depth description of the project.
Downloads are available from the Project Status page.
Benefits
Delivering high quality video in the AccessGrid environment will
increase the quality of the images streamed over the network. Any
application that relie on high quality video will benefit from
this work. For instance:
- tele-medicine
- tele-microscopy
- video surveillance
- remote video monitoring
