[Inter BEE 2009: Highlight Pickup!] Software encoder supporting H.264 developed by Fixstars, used in the Blu-ray Disc edition of Yama-kei's Shiki Hotaka

Pico House employed this H.264 software encoder in the production of Yama-kei's Blu-ray Disc
Fixstars Corporation's CodecSys Pro software encoder with H.264 support was used in the production of the Blu-ray Disc edition of Shiki Hotaka (The Four Seasons of Mt. Hotaka; sold by Yama-kei Publishing), featuring Mt. Hotaka in Japan's Northern Alps. Fixstars plans to hold a demonstration at their booth at Inter BEE.

Shiki Hotaka was Yama-kei's first Blu-ray Disc release, and Pico House used Fixstars' CodecSys Pro as the video encoding system.


2 days encoding completed in 1.5 hours
This proved its worth by encoding in one and a half hours a 45 minute full HD video, that would have taken 2 days on a conventional system, contributing towards major reductions in time.
CodecSys Pro uses a software-based encoder that supports H.264 to make the most of the high functionality of the Cell Broadband Engine general-purpose processor, which achieves high-speed encoding while maintaining full HD video quality.

Yuya Sakamoto from the Production Technology Department at Pico House said, "The short encoding time meant we could move quickly into confirmation work with the client, and respond quickly to requests for revisions. Ultimately, it provided us with a product that made our clients very happy."

Additionally Mr. Sakamoto highly evaluated the fact that, because all tasks from video capture right through to encoding and authoring can be completed at one workstation, the software encoder removes the need for file transfers between systems, enabling the creation of a high efficiency environment.