Nokia’s codec roadmap: VVC, learned compression, and immersive audio
Nokia publishes an overview of its multimedia R&D and standardization work, highlighting contributions to next-generation video coding (including VVC), learned/hybrid compression techniques, and tools for error-resilient streaming under packet loss and congestion. The page also covers immersive media technologies such as MPEG-related volumetric/point-cloud coding, OMAF for immersive/360 video distribution, and 3GPP Release 18 Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codecs and formats for low-delay spatial audio.
Key Takeaways
- Nokia is positioning VVC as a practical bridge for broadcast/streaming—highlighting deployment guidance, low-latency features (e.g., GDR), and multi-layer workflows.
- Learned + hybrid compression is being framed as incremental, shippable gains (e.g., BD-rate savings and content-adaptive tools) rather than a full rip-and-replace of classical codecs.
- Error-resilient streaming R&D targets real-world networks (loss/congestion) with layered designs that degrade gracefully instead of failing hard.
- Immersive pipelines are expanding beyond video: 3GPP Rel-18 IVAS (including MASA-style metadata) pushes spatial audio into conversational, mobile-first use cases.
- Volumetric/point-cloud standards work (MPEG V3C / V-PCC, OMAF) signals continued bets on interoperable immersive formats—even if mass-market demand remains uneven.
Why It Matters
This is a reminder that “AI video” isn’t just generative—it’s increasingly about compression, resilience, and standards leverage. For streamers and platform engineers, Nokia’s mix of VVC maturity plus learned/hybrid tools points to a near-term reality: shipping better QoE will come from codec stacks that blend classical and neural components while staying interoperable. For strategists and investors, the subtext is licensing and control—standards bodies (MPEG/3GPP) remain the infrastructure layer where future margins (and patent leverage) are negotiated. The meme: the next streaming wars are fought in the bitstream.
Read full article at nokiavoices.com