[wsnipex]

yup, I rebuild xbmc in that PPA daily, if there were changes in fernets git master.

[nickr]

that's all i meant by 'caught up'.

[Kib]

that's all i meant by 'caught up'.

Ah, you meant 'tomorrow'

[tential]

NickR
Did you also download the x264 version? Can you comment on the quality currently between the x265 encode vs x264?

Also, this was 1 month ago so a LOT has changed apparently. Moving into April things are supposed to change even more.

March 20th
"As x264 is the gold standard for production video encoders, and as we are porting and adapting x264 features into x265, we run extensive tests comparing the visual quality of x265 against x264 at the same bit rate. From an objective standpoint, x265 produces rate distortion curves that are substantially better (either with PSNR or SSIM) at any constrained bit rate. But the only thing that really matters is subjective visual quality. From a subjective standpoint, in our tests x265 produces better visual quality in the vast majority of test sequences. HEVC is especially stronger with respect to temporal noise. We're still working hard to fine-tune the encoding algorithms under all of the most challenging conditions (high motion with high detail at low bit rates), and we're still working to implement some x264 features like psy-rd.

So, the quick answer is - try it. Run x264 and x265 on the same clips at the same bit rate, play the video back and see what you think.

We've come a long way, but we're not done. You can expect a number of improvements that are focused on visual quality in the coming weeks.

Tom"

"x265 is ready to license today. We have been reaching licensing agreements with leading video hardware, software and service providers for many months.

We will reach the 0.9 tag in the next couple of weeks. I don't expect to hit the 1.0 milestone until late April, but this is just a number. Most of the key HEVC encoding features are already implemented in x265 (v0.8). As we continue our work it will just keep getting better with respect to features, performance and encoding efficiency (visual quality at a given bit rate).

Tom"

Also some 10bit encoding times:
"I have an i7 2700K @4.4GHz.

HEVC encoder version 0.8+185-27e0620327e5
build info [Windows][MSVC 1800][64 bit] 16bpp
using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 SSE4.2 AVX

Settings are --recon-depth 10 and the presets below.

720p
ultrafast: 38.39 fps
superfast: 33.24 fps
veryfast: 23.34 fps
faster: 19.04 fps
fast: 13.48 fps
medium: 8.84 fps
slow: 5.20 fps
slower: 2.72 fps
veryslow: 1.70 fps

1080p
ultrafast: 18.29 fps
superfast: 15.85 fps
veryfast: 10.65 fps
faster: 9.36 fps
fast: 6.24 fps
medium: 4.09 fps
slow: 2.39 fps
slower: 1.36 fps
veryslow: 0.86 "

Very interesting developments with more to come by next month. It's an exciting time we live in where advancements move so quickly.

[Dzhus]

Amlogic S812 will supposedly support hardware H.265/HEVC decoding: http://www.amlogic.com/product03.htm

Dunno about their release schedule though

[Prof Yaffle]

I just heard a rumour that Sky UK has implemented HEVC on a whole raft of HD channels - I find it dubious, though, as I'd have thought that it would have forced an upgrade of the hardware even if they could get all the software in place. All I can find on Google is some testing in the UK and Germany, though.

[Dzhus]

I think providers will try to co-support both legacy H.264 and HEVC to ease the transition.

[DJ_Izumi]

I just heard a rumour that Sky UK has implemented HEVC on a whole raft of HD channels - I find it dubious, though, as I'd have thought that it would have forced an upgrade of the hardware even if they could get all the software in place. All I can find on Google is some testing in the UK and Germany, though.

Yeah, this seems pretty unbelievable. You'd much more likely see this in OTT systems like Netflix or other streaming systems, where the data format to be streamed could be determined by communicating with the client. SetTop type cable and sat systems on the other hand are unlikely to see such rapid upgrades. Sounds like whimsy to me.

[nickr]

I think providers will try to co-support both legacy H.264 and HEVC to ease the transition.

Yeah you think they will waste their precious and expensive bandwidth broadcasting in 2 formats?

[noggin]

I just heard a rumour that Sky UK has implemented HEVC on a whole raft of HD channels - I find it dubious, though, as I'd have thought that it would have forced an upgrade of the hardware even if they could get all the software in place. All I can find on Google is some testing in the UK and Germany, though.

I believe this was a bit of misinformation (which is being perpetuated). Sky haven't switched to H265/HEVC on their existing HD channels, but instead have changed their encryption, causing people with non-Sky receivers to lose the services.

Because this change came about around the same time Sky started talking more widely about their HEVC/H265 4K testing of 3840x2160/50p 10bit sport broadcasts, some have assumed that they lost their channels because of a codec change. However the channels continue to be received on standard Sky boxes that pre-dated the HEVC/H265 standard ratification - and Sky boxes use hardware video decoding not software - so the chances of 5+year old boxes being upgraded to a new codec over-the-air are pretty low... (i.e. non-existent)

HOWEVER - the BBC are currently broadcasting a 4k HEVC DVB-T2 service in London for the World cup. It's 2160/59.94p and can be viewed in recent builds of ffplay - or on a PC using LAVFilters (which leverage ffmpeg). DVB Viewer recognises the video as HEVC.

---

I just heard a rumour that Sky UK has implemented HEVC on a whole raft of HD channels - I find it dubious, though, as I'd have thought that it would have forced an upgrade of the hardware even if they could get all the software in place. All I can find on Google is some testing in the UK and Germany, though.

Yeah, this seems pretty unbelievable. You'd much more likely see this in OTT systems like Netflix or other streaming systems, where the data format to be streamed could be determined by communicating with the client. SetTop type cable and sat systems on the other hand are unlikely to see such rapid upgrades. Sounds like whimsy to me.

Yes - I believe it was a conclusion that was jumped to when Sky viewers using non Sky receivers lost their channels due to an encryption change on the HD services - not a codec change.

---

I think providers will try to co-support both legacy H.264 and HEVC to ease the transition.

Yeah you think they will waste their precious and expensive bandwidth broadcasting in 2 formats?

Well they do for SD and HD on satellite - and terrestrial in some countries. (Others like Ireland and Norway launched their digital TV services after HD become a done-deal, so mandated HD reception and SD downconversion in all their boxes, removing the need for SD and HD simulcasting).

If Sky launch HEVC/H265 on satellite (and who knows - they could use broadband instead?) then they are likely to have to simulcast H264/AVC HD services as their current HD receivers are not H265/HEVC compatible AFAIK. Whether they phase out SD services, as they did analogue, will be a more interesting question. You wouldn't really want to have to broadcast three versions of Sky channels (SD MPEG2 576i, HD H264 1080i, UHD H265 2160p) would you?

[DocG]

Ok, how far off are we with HEVC in XBMC? Is there any half-way stable version that plays it? I've finally gotten a set of machines that can play Hi10P, and now people start encoding in HEVC, which I can't currently play.

[jjd-uk]

HEVC support is already in the development nightlies for v14 Helix, however if stability is a concern then maybe hold off for the 1st Alpha build before trying it.

[DocG]

HEVC support is already in the development nightlies for v14 Helix, however if stability is a concern then maybe hold off for the 1st Alpha build before trying it.

Thanks, I might try a nightly if I feel it can't wait any longer, otherwise I'll just wait for now.

[nickr]

Ok, how far off are we with HEVC in XBMC? Is there any half-way stable version that plays it? I've finally gotten a set of machines that can play Hi10P, and now people start encoding in HEVC, which I can't currently play.

If you can't play HEVC then don't encode with it!

[DocG]

Ok, how far off are we with HEVC in XBMC? Is there any half-way stable version that plays it? I've finally gotten a set of machines that can play Hi10P, and now people start encoding in HEVC, which I can't currently play.

If you can't play HEVC then don't encode with it!

I don't. Yet, there's content encoded in HEVC I'd like to watch.