The Evolution of H.264 from Codec to System Architecture December 7, 2010 the Evolution of H.264 – from Codec to System Architecture | WHITE PAPER

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The Evolution of H.264 From Codec to System Architecture December 7, 2010 The Evolution of H.264 – From Codec to System Architecture | WHITE PAPER

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

The Origin of a Standard 4 H.264 4

Streaming System Landscape 6 Encoders 7 Capture Stations 8 Recording and Storage 8 Transport and Distribution 8 HTML5 and Trends 9 VOD 10 Players 10

H.264’s Real World Benefits 10

Deployment in the Enterprise 11 System Scalability and Reliability 11 Efficient Network Distribution 11 Streaming and Videoconferencing Integration 12 Turnkey Systems and Horizontal Integration 12 Applications 12 Value, ROI, and Longevity 13

Conclusion 13

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Executive Summary The past decade has seen dramatic growth in the use of streaming video by enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions. Over this period, video quality improved greatly, content creation and distribution became simpler, and video systems became integrated with business applications like unified communications. Today’s companies derive significant productivity gains and high economic value from video applications such as corporate communications, training, TV distribution, executive broadcasts, and collaboration. Although numerous technical factors have combined to produce these benefits, the key enabling technology behind the success of streaming is encoding and compression. The H.264 video compression standard represents the culmination of this effort. It delivers reliable, high quality video that can run over virtually any type of network and on virtually any type of device when implemented in conjunction with other player technologies. The benefits of H.264 have driven many technology providers such as Adobe (with Flash), Microsoft (with Smooth Streaming), and Apple (with iPhone video) to adopt H.264 as their codec of choice going forward. As this paper describes, the choice of codec also has a large ripple effect across the entire streaming ecosystem. For example, while previous generation streaming systems worked well for LAN-attached desktop clients, most cannot accommodate new types of client devices such as smartphones, tablets, mobile devices, and large screen displays. As video has become a mainstream tool in business, companies are looking for more from their system vendors. To maximize investments in both technology and video content and reduce costly “forklift” upgrades, a smooth transition from older technologies like Windows Media to newer ones like H.264 is mandatory. Customers are looking toward Unified Communications systems and improved IT system integration to derive even more value from video. The need to seamlessly extend live and stored video from one single platform to both intranet and Internet clients is of growing importance. To improve usability, simplify workflows, and reduce interoperability issues, companies are also looking for vendors to deliver all the needed pieces of a complete enterprise media solution. As related to enterprise-class video, this paper addresses the needs of CIOs, IT managers, system architects, and communications and media specialists. The choice of video standard has a major impact on the business applications, system components, and versatility of enterprise streaming systems. This paper focuses on understanding the key technical and business concerns when selecting a new streaming video system.

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The Origin of a Standard Over the long First released in 1992, MPEG-1 was the first widely adopted digital audio/video compression standard. term the collective Since that time, manufacturers have made steady progress in improving digital audio/video compression industry and and encoding in a number of key areas, including higher resolutions and better motion handling, compression ratios, metadata, and more. While many encoder and equipment manufacturers have taken a standards- user force behind based approach and have followed the MPEG and ITU standards, others like Microsoft, Sorenson, and standards helps Google have gone the proprietary route to better suit their ends. them to catch and surpass proprietary H.264 solutions. The most popular and fastest growing video compression standard today is H.264, an international ITU standard first released in 2003. Other standards bodies such as MPEG collaborated with the ITU on this standard. MPEG’s identical version of the standard is called MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding) or MPEG-4 Part 10. Prior video compression standards each had their drawbacks. Still in widespread use, MPEG-2 works well at medium to high bitrates, but compression is only fair. The MPEG-2 codec has poor video quality at low bitrates and is inappropriate for low powered devices like smartphones. MPEG-4 is good for low bandwidth applications like Internet streaming, but video quality is only fair and the codec does not scale to high definition. Microsoft’s Windows Media encoder is a good general-purpose encoder in the enterprise, but use of a proprietary player makes this format unsuitable for many Internet viewers and mobile devices. The technical strength of a video codec is measured by its ability to efficiently compress video content at a wide range of resolutions. The relationship between video resolution and compression efficiency for a number of popular video codecs is shown in below in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Codec Resolution vs. Efficiency

Real

Windows Media MPEG-2 H.264 Video Resolution Video

MPEG-4

MPEG-1

Compression Efficiency

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These earlier aging codecs have spurred customer demand for a more sophisticated and scalable codec that can meet a diverse number of needs. Pressure from more users and playback platforms adds to this need. These key codec requirements include: • Codec scalability – one codec that works at a wide range of bit rates and resolutions • Universal client support – playback on virtually any device, from small handheld displays to desktops to large screen HD displays • Improved compression, resulting in lower bit rate streams and smaller file sizes • Improved motion handling – fewer video artifacts and dropouts • A wide range of profiles to match different types of applications • Choice of transport protocols The H.264 codec meets all of these requirements and delivers an efficient, high quality video experience to the user regardless of their network infrastructure or playback device. Due to its technical advantages and standardization, H.264 has become the dominant streaming video codec over the past two years. H.264’s strong industry backing and modern codec architecture result in regular feature enhancements. Once compressed and encoded, digital video is packetized for transmission across an IP network. Given the wide variety of IP networks (optical, LAN, WAN, wireless, satellite, Internet, cable TV, etc.) and playback devices (HD displays, wireless 3G and 4G mobile devices, and low bandwidth Internet clients), different transport protocols are needed to ensure the smooth and reliable delivery of video. Building upon lessons learned in the past, H.264 offers a wide range of transport protocols to address this need. Some examples include RTP/RTSP, Transport Stream, Flash RTMP, HTTP, Smooth Streaming and TCP/RTSP Interleave. This rich set of transport options gives system architects the ability to precisely match the streaming protocol to their application and network. The following table illustrates some common applications and their corresponding protocols.

Table 1. Application Streaming Protocol Streaming Applications and Broadcast Backhaul Transport Stream (TS) Transport Internet via CDN RTMP Protocols Enterprise Flash RTMP for Unicast, RTMFP for Multicast WAN RTSP Interleaved for TCP Transmission WAN through Firewall HTTP Tunneled Enterprise LAN RTP or TS Multicast STB Display TS

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Streaming System Landscape The construction of a business-class enterprise video system begins with encoder and codec selection but does not end there. Due to the multitude of applications for video as well as the diversity of corporate network topologies, customers can choose from a wide range of streaming video peripheral and playback devices. These components are depicted in Figure 2 below and include: • Capture stations • Video on Demand or streaming servers • Mobile capture devices • Network distribution products, including • Video portal and management systems streaming reflectors and remote VOD servers • Video editing and post-processing systems • Playback software and hardware • Video recording systems • Internetworking devices such as video conference systems • Storage devices and systems

Figure 2. H.264 System DISPLAY Elements PC or Mac

Laptop DISTRIBUTE

CREATE & MANAGE iPhone

Encode Portal and Management System Reflector

Large Display

Capture VOD

Digital Signage Network Video Remote Mobile Broadcaster Recorder VOD

Blackberry

Videoconferencing

Set Top Box

Tablet

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As no two networks or business video applications are identical, customers must tailor their choices of video equipment and network design to each individual customer installation. Efficient distribution of video streams to all locations in the network is of prime importance, with network bandwidth conservation and geographic reach being two major elements in a successful installation. In many streaming video applications, networking and distribution often present the toughest set of technical challenges. Some vendors’ equipment offers the flexibility and resiliency to handle these challenges; others may provide functionality that is more limited. Certain vendors may offer in-depth experience in specific applications, i.e. broadcasting, but may lack large scale corporate or enterprise network experience. As described in the following section, there are a variety of H.264 enabled products and techniques available to address the wide range of customer needs. The diagram shown in Figure 2. is the system level perspective for the following sections.

Encoders A powerful new In the simplest case, an encoder converts analog or digital video from a camera or other source into an addition to the H.264 compliant transport stream that is distributed over the network and played at the client. Depending latest breed of on the customer’s network and applications, many other encoder use cases are possible. H.264 encoders vary widely in their hardware and software design, packaging, feature set, and reliability. When evaluating H.264 encoders encoders, some key criteria to consider include: is multi-bitrate • Encoding architecture – Does the encoder use dedicated hardware and software or general encoding (MBR). purpose PC hardware with add-on software encoding? MBR gives the • Input and streaming resolutions – Highly scalable: input resolutions from 480p to 1080p, encoder the ability streaming output resolutions from up to 1080p HD to simultaneously • Frame rates – Fast frame rates up to 60 frames/sec for high motion events encode video and audio at up to • Encoding bit rates – From 32kbps to 15 Mbps to match the available bandwidth and playback three different device bit rates. • Multiple transport protocols – Use different transport protocols to reach different players: RTP to PCs, RTMP to flash players, Transport Stream to STBs and decoders. • Integrated streaming server – Push streams at different rates to multiple destinations for multisite deployments across an enterprise • Metadata insertion and closed captioning • Advanced network features – Internal streaming and multicast servers, traffic shaping, and multiple transport options • Internal hard drive – For direct recording on the encoder • Shelf versions – For high density applications The choice of • Portable or mobile encoder models – For field or remote broadcasts encoding format • Security hardening – To thwart hackers and resist viruses may be the single most important A powerful new addition to the latest breed of H.264 encoders is multi-bitrate encoding (MBR). MBR gives the encoder the ability to simultaneously encode video and audio at up to three different bit rates. This is decision in select- ideal for delivering optimized, high quality video to different clients like PCs, smartphones, and large screen ing a streaming displays. The choice of encoding format may be the single most important decision in selecting a streaming video system, video system, as this affects every downstream video element and client in the network. as this affects every downstream video element and client in the network.

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Capture Stations Another popular encoding device is the capture station, a multi-input encoder specifically designed to address the needs of online presentations, training, and classroom encoding and capture. These devices offer viewers a rich media experience, merging video with PowerPoint slides, images, and more to enhance the presentation and learning experience. For maximum versatility, a capture station handles a variety of input sources that include video cameras, XGA video (from a PC or laptop), document cameras, and DVD players. Using a simple web interface or software presets, these presentation inputs are combined in the capture station and streamed to the viewers. When the rich functionality of the capture station is not required, PowerPoint slides can be synchronized to video using lightweight software encoding that captures the presenter’s desktop along with audio and optional webcam video. To record and deliver presentations to large audiences under full access control, tight integration of the capture solution with a video management portal is a must. More sophisticated systems offer features like audience polling, Q&A, viewing reports, and more. Using advanced video mixing techniques, the newest systems combine video and slides into a single video stream to reduce bandwidth consumption and make network distribution easier. Some capture systems and presentation products use proprietary streaming technology and lack full end-to-end H.264 support. For large scale or enterprise-wide presentations like executive broadcasts, this creates problems with video distribution, especially with viewers on lower bandwidth connections outside of the corporate headquarters. Additional problems are created when a system uses one encoding format for Internet viewers and another one for internal corporate viewers. When recorded and archived, these multiple formats result in multiple versions of the same video file, causing additional storage and content management issues.

Recording and Storage Most important video sessions and presentations are recorded for later viewing and reuse. Recording can occur in multiple locations in the network, on the encoder itself, on a high capacity network video recorder (NVR), or at the client or player. For enterprise accounts, the use of a centralized NVR offers tighter control over content access and redistribution. Centrally recorded files are also more easily archived, backed up, and shared. Most NVRs provide the ability to automatically upload recorded content to targeted VOD servers for rapid playback availability. Some encoders with internal hard drives also offer this capability. In terms of storage, H.264 has superior compression efficiency compared with other algorithms, so less disk space is required. The rich set of file formats that use H.264 and are supported by the variety of players often means that H.264 files must be transmuxed. Transmuxing changes the file container while retaining the underlying compressed video in multiple formats. This adds flexibility for file playback on any device at the expense of the additional disk space needed to store multiple file formats.

Transport and Distribution A frequently overlooked or misunderstood area critical to efficient video streaming is network transport and distribution. Given the right product set and vendor expertise, there are huge opportunities here to reduce network bandwidth, improve streaming reach and reliability, heighten the user experience, simplify system administration, and save money. In corporate LANs, multicasting is an effective means to simultaneously deliver a video broadcast to many viewers. Across corporate WANs, however, multicasting is often not an option and unicasting or one-to-one streaming is the only choice. When streaming at 2Mbps, unicasting is satisfactory for a small number of viewers, but consumes too much bandwidth with more viewers. Unicasting across a WAN to a branch office is even worse. Each viewer must “pull” their own individual stream across the network, often clogging “thin” WAN network links. Similar problems exist in the branch when multiple viewers attempt to watch the same stored VOD video.

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The solution to this WAN distribution challenge is to treat each remote location as a separate zone. Each zone can have anywhere from a handful to thousands of users, connected via a low bandwidth WAN link. A network reflector device receives a unicast stream over the WAN link, often over TCP or tunneled over HTTP to effectively traverse the LAN and pass through firewalls. The reflector then streams via unicast and/or multicast to a variety of different clients in the streaming protocol of choice for each client. Again, tight integration between the reflecting appliances and the management system is a must. As each user views a stream, the management system recognizes where that user is located and directs them to the reflector in their zone. To conserve even more bandwidth, reflectors can be linked across the WAN to relay video streams from one remote site to multiple downstream reflectors. The net effect is that a single unicast stream across the WAN can reach tens of thousands of viewers. To improve reliability, reflectors can either pull or push streams across the WAN using HTTP. If a network outage occurs, the reflectors will automatically reconnect and resume streaming without any user intervention. To reach different classes of clients (e.g. PCs, STBs, and mobile devices), a single stream of H.264 encoded multi-bitrate (MBR) video can work in concert with reflectors to distribute streams in the most efficient manner. Reflectors can also “transmux” video streams, converting from one type of transport stream on the input to another on the output. For recorded content, a common solution is to strategically place VOD servers in the branch office or at the edge of the network, so content is not pulled across the WAN and playback is faster. Intelligent VOD servers can recognize the capabilities of players in the network and stream using different transport protocols. H.264 offers a variety of transport protocols to ensure the reliable delivery of video over a variety of networks. For live broadcasts, the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) works well, while the Real-time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) offers the player controls (Fast forward, rewind) needed for VOD playback. Newer transport protocols like RTMP (used with Flash) and HTTP are optimized for Internet clients and mobile devices. Multiple transport protocols easily co-exist in the same network.

HTML5 and Trends HTML5 is emerging as an important new web coding standard that resolves some of the multimedia limitations found in the current HTML 4.01 markup language. This revision is a response to the longstanding use of proprietary browser plug-in (Flash, Silverlight, QuickTime, WM, DivX, Real, and more) to handle video and multimedia. The confusing array of plug-ins causes support and reliability problems, since without the proper installed plug-in, video simply doesn’t play. Furthermore, downloading and installing a new plug-in takes time, degrades the user experience, and sometimes confuses the user. To resolve this issue, HTML5 introduces new standard syntax coding elements for video and audio to improve interoperability and reduce the number of plug-ins. Although it introduces a new video tag, it does not yet standardize on the video format/codec used. Some proposed HTML5 video codecs include H.264 (an ITU/MPEG standard), Ogg Theora (an open source codec), and VP8 (promoted by Google). As sales of Smartphones and new portable devices like iPads, tablets, and even eBook readers increase, HTML5 is expected to gain in importance and popularity. For a variety of technical reasons, Apple has selected H.264 HTML5 video instead of Flash for the iPod. Given Apple’s clout and track record, other vendors are expected to follow suit. Major PC and mobile browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, iPhone, and Android either currently support or will support HTML5 video. Given the difference in display sizes and resolutions supported with these browsers, it is highly probable that video will need to be encoded more than once or transcoded. For public broadcasts and webinars, the distribution of H.264 content is supported by both the Internet and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). As the Internet routes at Layer 3, it supports all H.264 streaming protocols. For Internet viewing, the choice of streaming bandwidth, video resolution, and streaming protocol is largely based on the client’s local network connection and bandwidth. H.264 features like

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MBR encoding make it easy to deliver the highest quality viewing experience to high, medium, and low bandwidth clients. Bandwidth, latency, and packet loss are all somewhat variable over the Internet. For business class viewers, CDNs eliminate these issues and offer higher bandwidth, unlimited scalability, and better manageability. With their high capacity optical backbones, they can easily deliver full HD video streams. Lastly, the use of a common encoding format such as H.264 eliminates the ongoing need to install, configure, and manage different types of reflectors, edge caching devices, and remote VOD servers. If streaming service interruptions occur, troubleshooting and problem resolution is easier. Furthermore, both CDN integration and borderless streaming to Internet-connected customers and clients is also simplified.

VOD The convergence Streaming playback is performed on specialized Video on Demand servers that are custom built to handle onto a single high the intensive disk I/O and network demands of streaming. In the past, a separate dedicated VOD server performance video was often needed for each streaming format, e.g. MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WM, etc. This contributed to the overall system and content distribution complexity, especially when multiple remote locations were format, H.264, involved. The convergence onto a single high performance video format, H.264, helps to streamline helps to streamline the entire system, reduce costs, improve reliability, and simplify system administration. the entire system, reduce costs, im- Players prove reliability, and Another area of rapid change, the choice of video playback devices is wider than ever before. PC displays simplify system have grown larger, making them ideal for viewing HD video. Market leaders like Apple and Blackberry administration. have brought high quality video to mobile devices, smartphones, and now the iPad. Video is an important and eye-catching element for public large screen displays and digital signage systems. With the right streaming infrastructure, H.264 simplifies this whole array of playback devices by introducing a common scalable standard that can be used across the entire enterprise. H.264 is delivered over multiple transport protocols, including Flash RTMP and RTMFP, RTP, Transport Stream, and HTTP delivery mechanisms such as Smooth Streaming and iPhone /iPad adaptive streaming. In a move away from proprietary streaming transport mechanisms, HTML5 is also gaining widespread industry support, especially for browser playback and lower powered devices. Content creation is also simplified; there is no need to use a different codec for small, medium, and large displays. For HD content viewing in the classroom, set top boxes now support H.264 video as well.

H.264’s Real World Benefits As a common unifying technology, H.264 delivers significant technical and economic benefits to customers. These include: • High quality video in 720p or 1080p resolutions – HD video conveys a vivid, lifelike experience to the user. Equipment costs for production equipment like cameras as well as flat panel displays are dropping rapidly. HD quality is becoming the expected baseline for all video content. Higher 60fps frame rates are great for capturing sports events. • Codec scalability accommodates different devices and bandwidth – There is high value in using one scalable codec to reach every client in the network. The upfront and ongoing cost of maintaining duplicate encoders, local and remote VOD servers, and NVRs to handle multiple streaming formats is much higher than using a single common format. • Product choice and interoperability – Due to the widespread vendor support behind H.264, customers have a wider choice of products. Adherence to an industry standard means that various types of streaming equipment from different vendors are all interoperable. Product support also improves due to broader industry familiarity with the technology.

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• Playback efficiency – This element is important when streaming to low powered devices like smartphones, mobile devices, and tablets. Tests have proven that H.264’s CPU and memory usage on these devices is better than proprietary approaches. • Application integration – Leading vendors such as Microsoft, IBM, and others have chosen H.264 as the video codec for their Unified Communications strategies. Popular collaborative applications based on H.264 include Microsoft’s OCS and SharePoint and IBM’s Sametime. Other popular applications such as desktop capture and online presentations now support H.264 as well. • Future proof – H.264 is a high performance, universal codec that performs and scales well in a very wide number of applications. Equipment manufacturers will continue to release new H.264 products and enhancements for many years to come, driving up customer ROI. • Simplified video networks and streamlined workflows – Standardizing on a single codec throughout an enterprise lets system designers reduce the number of video components in the network, saving money and improving performance and reliability. Workflows and video file transfers are also streamlined. • Network traffic and efficiency – A reduction in the different types of video streams in the network decreases bandwidth consumption. The use of intelligent network zones and reflectors furthers the efficient use of expensive bandwidth. H.264’s MBR capability helps systems reach any and all clients easily. • Content management – A single common archiving format helps reduce duplicate content as well as centralized and remote storage needs. • Fewest tradeoffs – Compared to competing solutions, an H.264-based ecosystem delivers the highest functionality, flexibility, and device support with the least number of tradeoffs.

Deployment in the Enterprise With a diverse set of applications and technical needs, enterprise customers derive value from turnkey systems and streaming equipment vendors that offer a complete portfolio of H.264-enabled products and tools. Business video has gone mainstream and is widely used by corporate executives, so system reliability is of paramount importance. Using redundant encoders, media portals, VOD servers, and reflectors, system planners can design fully fault tolerant streaming systems that deliver mission critical availability.

System Scalability and Reliability System scalability is a key requirement in the enterprise. As usage increases and more sites are added, the system should be easily expanded without any limitations on the system’s size, capacity, or number of streaming nodes. Since most content is accessed through a video portal, this server should offer redundancy to improve system reliability. For mission critical applications, redundant hardware should be an option throughout the streaming network. In the event of network disruptions, encoder features such as persistent “push” transmission also greatly improve reliability.

Efficient Network Distribution Proper network planning and the intelligent distribution of live and stored video on the network help to minimize bandwidth usage and traffic bottlenecks. Strategically placed low cost H.264 reflectors can alleviate traffic issues and quickly pay for themselves in bandwidth savings, especially in the WAN. At remote sites, reflectors give customers the option of streaming via multicast or unicast; their built-in servers can also support several hundred unicast users. Hard drive equipped reflectors can also act as mini-VOD servers or edge-caching devices, keeping traffic local and off the backbone. This further reduces the impact of video on critical business applications.

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At the encoder, the MBR option simultaneously transmits three different streams at three different bit rates, 384kbps, 1.5Mbps, and 5Mbps for example. This feature helps match the streaming bandwidth to the targeted player (PC, smartphone, etc.). If network conditions change, the player can “downshift” or “upshift” as needed. Other competing techniques that address this need consume more CPU cycles on the player and work poorly for prerecorded unicast VOD content.

Streaming and Videoconferencing Integration Both streaming Many businesses today leverage their investment in videoconferencing with the addition of streaming. and videoconfer- Streaming greatly expands the potential viewership of a videoconference and allows the equipment to encing vendors be repurposed as a “virtual video studio”. By adding streaming, conference viewers are no longer bound to meeting rooms or even desktop systems. With a wired or wireless Internet connection, they can watch have standardized a conference from a home office, hotel room, or even on a mobile phone. Streaming extends the use of on H.264 as the videoconferencing equipment to include new applications like presentations, corporate communications, codec of choice and training. In contrast to restricted videoconferences, both internal employees and external clients can for HD video. easily view these broadcasts. Videoconferencing sessions are typically one-to-one or one-to-several; reaching a larger audience with this medium is impractical and inefficient. Converting videoconferences into streams solves this issue, extends reach outside the firewall, and simplifies recording and archiving. Once archived, regular VOD servers can be used for playback. Videoconferencing users also enjoy the viewing experience, federated search, and tagging capabilities of a streaming video portal. Both streaming and videoconferencing vendors have standardized on H.264 as the codec of choice for HD video. H.264 acts as a high strength “glue” to connect these two different systems. Popular techniques and applications include: • SD or HD encoding of videoconferences for streaming distribution • Streaming from videoconferencing gateways • Access to prerecorded content during live videoconferencing or streaming sessions • Videoconferences as channels or streams in a video portal program guide • Live streamed videoconferences in Microsoft Office Communicator and Lotus Sametime • Direct videoconferencing media center to streaming video portal integration • Videoconferences streamed to public or digital signage displays • Videoconferences streamed to mobile devices

Turnkey Systems and Horizontal Integration The diverse components in a streaming system can be engineered to deliver basic system functionality. More experienced vendors, however, understand the nuances of encoding, transport protocols, networking, content distribution, and the user experience to deliver something much more. This deeper level of understanding leads to complete horizontal system integration and more intelligent design. The result: a best- of-breed streaming solution that performs better, uses less bandwidth, scales better, and easily adapts to new applications. Off-the-shelf or lower cost systems lack the sophistication and breadth of applications offered by true turnkey streaming systems. The effort to install, configure, and manage these systems is also greater.

Applications The list of applications that can benefit from using newer H.264 technology and video grows longer every month. Some popular examples include:

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• Seamless intranet or Internet reach – Use firewall friendly H.264 protocols like HTTP and RTMP to expand audiences and reach corporate and external viewers inside or outside the firewall. • Collaboration (SharePoint, etc.), Unified Communications, and social media integration – Leverage the power of collaboration and improve employee productivity by easily adding live and on-demand video to existing corporate UC platforms. Use video to share valuable business and technical knowledge across regional and national boundaries. • Digital signage – Stream engaging, high-resolution video and signage content to displays and PCs using standard H.264 protocols. Use digital signage in branch offices and retail sites to deliver company news, product demonstrations, and sales related information. • Executive broadcasts – Improve the immediacy, impact, and reach of executive broadcasts with the addition of video and rich media content. Extend the conversation and let geographically dispersed employees have a voice through the use of interactive chat, polling, and Q&A tools. • Corporate wide events and meeting broadcasts – Share meetings, webinars and presentations with an unlimited audience by streaming high-quality feeds from a podium, studio, or videoconferencing endpoint to desktops, handheld devices and displays across the enterprise and Internet. • TV distribution – Deliver selected television channels, including news and financial programming, to a virtually unlimited number of desktops and displays across your existing LAN, WAN or IP network. No need for extra cabling or a dedicated network. • Training and employee education – Synchronize video, audio and presentation materials into a single, H.264-quality stream with the push of a button and share it live or on-demand across any network. Improve productivity and save time and money through reduced travel. • Videoconferencing integration – Extend videoconferences to reach wider audiences across the Enterprise. Record and catalog videoconferences for later playback and review. Repurpose existing videoconferencing equipment by turning it into a mini-broadcast studio. • Mobile workforce – Use video broadcasts, presentations, and recorded content to reach out to mobile workers and field personnel, keeping them informed and building team morale. A consistent video user experience across mobile phones, tablets, and PCs makes access to information easy and convenient. As these applications mature and newer applications arise, H.264 will continue to be the codec of choice.

Value, ROI, and Longevity Economies of scale and high production volumes have driven the cost of H.264 specific components and circuitry down dramatically. This has resulted in higher video quality, broader equipment choice, and lower prices. The growing industry adoption of this standard has also fostered greater competition and more innovation. The flexibility and technical excellence of the H.264 standard translates to longevity and stronger customer ROI. Products and systems based on this standard will continue to be developed for a long time to come.

The right choice Conclusion of codec and encoding format is Buyers of enterprise-class streaming systems must balance numerous business, technical, and operational requirements en route to final product selection and purchase. The right choice of streaming standards is a key determinant a key determinant in the system’s cost, performance, end-user acceptance, and ultimate long-term success. in the system’s Now the dominant family of standards in the enterprise, H.264 has surpassed all prior standards-based and cost, performance, proprietary technologies, offering the best combination of system scalability, client support, performance, end-user accep- and cost. Customers looking to make the fewest tradeoffs and position themselves for growth as well as tance, and ultimate emerging technologies like Unified Communications are advised to research and evaluate H.264-based long-term success. streaming solutions.

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13 About VBrick Systems, Inc. VBrick is the leader in Enterprise IP Video solutions, with over 9,000 corporate, education and government customers and 60,000 installations worldwide. VBrick solutions work over standard IP networks and the Internet to deliver rich media communications that connect people everywhere -- from employees and customers, to partners and shareholders. Our comprehensive product suite and end-to-end solutions are used in a wide range of live and on-demand applications including meeting and event broadcasts, distance learning, digital signage, TV distribution, video surveillance, and Web- based marketing campaigns. Headquartered in Wallingford, CT, VBrick’s products and services are available through industry-leading value-added resellers. For more information, visit www.vbrick.com

Version R01102011 VBrick is a trademark of VBrick Systems, Inc., Wallingford, CT. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice. ©2010 VBrick Systems, Inc.