Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; C.E.O., President: Tetsuro Higashi) and Communications Research Laboratory, an independent Administrative Institution (CRL; Head Office: Koganei City, Tokyo; President: Takashi Iida) announce that they have succeeded in developing Ruff SystemsTM, a system for using personal computers to download high-quality video that supports IPv6, the next-generation Internet Protocol, with the cooperation of Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. (ISID; Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jutaro Takinami).
The system in question enables the use of digital video (DV) downloading technologies, which are normally run in UNIX environments, to work on personal computers running Windows XP, thus resulting in systems that are both inexpensive and easy to operate. In addition, the system enables not only displaying the digital video on personal computer monitors, but also outputting the video signal from IEEE 1394 ports, thus making it possible to view the digital video on TV sets by routing the signal through a digital video deck. This ultimately makes it possible to download high-quality video on a par with broadcast TV images.
Furthermore, the system supports IPv6, and thus, TEL believes that it can be utilized as the motion video application infrastructure for the next generation of Internet and intranet protocols, with broadband support becoming increasingly more commonplace. In addition, the system can also be used with IPv4 as well as IPv6, meaning that it can be used even with current Internet or corporate intranets, so long as one can merely secure sufficient bandwidth.
In terms of functionality, one personal computer can be used for simultaneously uploading and downloading video streams, thus enabling it to be used for videophones or video-conferencing. The system is also capable of realtime input and output to files, allowing it to be used for such applications as online video-on-demand libraries.
Background
MPEG-2, the most commonly used video compression format, uses a technology known as inter-frame compression, which trades the ability to set for high levels of compression for high CPU load, as well as great difficulty in simultaneously sending and receiving video streams in software. It also has the added problem of image quality in video playback decreasing as the compression rate increases.
The digital video used by Ruff SystemsTM, on the other hand, uses instead the technology of intra-frame compression, which enables fast data transmission speeds of approximately 30Mbps, while also allowing for precise editing due to its storing of every frame of video.
In addition, Ruff SystemsTM uses video compression technology that is highly compatible with video cameras, video decks, and other products that support digital video, for both consumer and industrial use alike. As these devices are going on the market and becoming more and more commonplace, the system enables recording and playback in digital format, with the accompanying low degradation of image quality and without the need for analog conversion.
Plans for Further Development
It is hoped that the technology that TEL has successfully developed on this occasion will handle the important task of supporting the provision of high-quality streaming video services over broadband connections in a wide range of fields, including education, medicine, broadcasting, shopping, and internal corporate business.
TEL's plans call for adding support for such technologies as (1) multicasting via IPv6 and (2) distribution of broadcast studio-quality formats such as D1 and HDTV in times to come, and TEL will continue research in this area, utilizing the test bed for the next-generation Internet known as the Japan Gigabit Network, or JGN, for research purposes.
TEL also plans to use this technology to make a strong push to do business in such fields as private corporations, universities, various other organizations, and research facilities working in related areas.
TEL's plans call for exhibiting the fruits of this technology at the TEL booth in the InterBEE 2001 exhibition, which will take place November 14 to 16, 2001, at Makuhari Messe. Note also that this system will run on Windows 2000 as well as Windows XP.
Glossary of Terms
IPv6:
Short for IP Version 6, IPv6 is the forthcoming next version of the Internet Protocol, or IP, and as such, is the successor to the present version of IP, IPv4. It has been said that the address space available for use under IPv4 will be entirely used up in the early part of this century. Using IPv6, however, with its gigantic 128-bit address space, will solve this problem. Other advantages of IPv6 over IPv4 are that it comes with automatic network configuration and security technologies as standard features.
IEEE 1394:
An industry standard established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, for connecting computers to consumer electronics devices such as audio and video equipment and electronic instruments, or consumer electronics devices directly to other consumer electronics devices. Based on the FireWire protocol developed by Apple Computer, Inc., this technology allows for the creation of high-speed, inexpensive digital networks.
DV:
Designation for the digital video format used in consumer digital video cameras. This format uses data transmission bandwidth of approximately 30Mbps.
D1 Uncompressed True Digital Video:
The uncompressed video format used by broadcast networks, video production houses, etc. This format, which uses data transmission bandwidth of approximately 270Mbps, is the current de facto standard for TV images.
HDTV Uncompressed Digital Video:
The highest quality format for HDTV digital video, HDTV Uncompressed Digital Video uses data transmission bandwidth of approximately 1.5Gbps. The HDTV format used in digital satellite broadcasts uses a non-reversible compression format that transmits at up to approximately 22Mbps, based on MPEG-2, in order to increase efficiency of transmission.
TCP/IP:
Short for "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol," which are the suite of protocols that conduct communications for sending data over the Internet while maintaining recognition between sender and receiver. Used for most general-purpose Internet access, the protocols enable data to be transmitted with a degree of reliability.
About TEL
TEL, established in 1963, is a leading supplier of innovative semiconductor and FPD production equipment worldwide. Product lines include coater/developers, thermal processing system, dry etchers, CVD systems, sputtering systems (PVD), wet cleaning systems, and test systems. In Japan, TEL distributes other leading edge semiconductor equipment tools, such as metrology tools or process control systems. In addition, TEL distributes high quality computer systems, semiconductor devices and electronic components of other leading suppliers, as well as computer network related products from around the world. To support this diverse product base, TEL has strategically located research & development, manufacturing, sales, and service locations all over the world. TEL is a publicly held company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. http://www.tel.co.jp
About Ruff Systems
Developed by TEL in collaboration with Communications Research Laboratory, an independent Administrative Institution, Ruff SystemsTM is a technology that enables storage and distribution of uncompressed HDTV and D1, as well as DV audio and video, over TCP/IP. Using broadband networks, Ruff SystemsTM is capable of distributing, transmitting, and storing broadcast-quality video, that is to say, HDTV or D1, as well as the consumer-oriented DV format. In addition, the development of this technology was based on Internet Protocol (IP), the standard protocol for transmitting data over the Internet. Therefore, it offers the optimal system for use with the next generation of broadband settings, wherein it is hoped that a union of communications and broadcasting will come about.
