Comprimato Generates 4K, 8K & VR Format for Realtime Editing
Comprimato UltraPix is a lightweight video plug-in for post-production software on OS X, Windows and Linux systems, designed to solve the problem of insufficient hardware resources to decode ultra-high resolution or high bitrate video for smooth playback and editing in real time. It addresses the performance challenges associated with managing the massive amount of data involved in finishing video in 4K or 8K Ultra HD, or working on immersive 360° VR projects. Because the files are large, taking up a lot of storage space, they can be slow and cumbersome to load, and achieving realtime editing performance is difficult.
UltraPix GPU-accelerated workflows are set up automatically, directly within the host application, and are proxy-free. The first release handles Ultra HD, VR and other formats on any hardware running Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Foundry Nuke. Comprimato will demonstrate their new plugins at NAB 2017.
UltraPix Processing
Comprimato UltraPix uses JPEG2000, a compression format able to achieve high image quality, including a mathematically lossless mode, to generate smaller versions of each frame from a single high resolution master file, as an inherent part of the compression process. Without creating temporary files, UltraPix delivers files when required at a size that the user’s hardware can accommodate. Lower resolution data is pulled from the high res master file and is served on-the-fly to the user’s software. On average, it saves 10% compared to working with proxies in other editing formats, according to Comprimato.
It also makes proxy-file rendering, transcoding or manual management unnecessary on existing storage, and editors can switch between 4K, 8K, full HD, HD or lower resolutions at anytime on demand. Once Comprimato UltraPix is loaded on your hardware, it automatically configures itself with auto-setup, requiring no specialist knowledge from the editor, who can continue to work in Adobe Premiere Pro CC as normal.
“JPEG2000 is an open standard, recognised universally, and post production professionals will already be familiar with it as it is the image standard in DCP digital cinema files,” said Comprimato founder and CEO, Jiří Matela. “Because our implementation of JPEG2000 encoding and decoding is achieved entirely in software, using the power of the CPU or GPU, we can embed it in realtime editing tools like Premiere Pro CC. We believe that, ultimately, video editors will be talking about exchanging UltraPix files.”
UltraPix is optimized for local editing and should work well from network storage. Jiří said that Comprimato will soon introduce a standalone acceleration product for users who edit video out of their networked storage or cloud. It will communicate with UltraPix, allowing users working with NAS or cloud to have the same level of experience as if they were editing from local hard drive.
Comprimato UltraPix plug-ins are currently available to download for Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Foundry Nuke and will be available on other post-production and VFX tools soon. www.comprimato.com
