On2 Technologies Licenses VP6 Video Decoder Technology to videantis

On2 Technologies announced that videantis has licensed its VP6 video decoder source code for implementation in the videantis v-MPx programmable processor platform.

videantis makes flexible IP cores for advanced multimedia applications. With its optimized proprietary instruction set and parallel processing capabilities, the videantis v-MPx platform supports the implementation of high-performance video and image processing tasks using software updates instead of hardware changes. The v-MPx platform is used in customer integrated circuits ranging from mobile applications to home entertainment, automotive, and surveillance products. videantis's technology is fully proven in working silicon and FPGA prototyping systems.

"We're excited that videantis customers will have the best playback experience for high-quality VP6 content from their favorite video sites," said Matt Frost, interim CEO at On2.

"With the addition of On2 VP6 to our codec portfolio, our customer's products that use the videantis v-MPx processor platform are now able to access a wide range of popular, high-quality internet video with a simple software upgrade instead of a full silicon re-spin," said Young-Hun Kluge, VP of Sales & Marketing at videantis.

videantis v-MPx processor platforms featuring On2 VP6 are available for licensing immediately.

On2 Technologies, Inc. and Google Inc. jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire On2, a leading developer of video compression technology. Under the terms of the agreement, each outstanding share of On2 common stock will be converted into $0.60 worth of Google class A common stock in a stock-for-stock transaction. The transaction is valued at approximately $106.5 million.

"Today video is an essential part of the web experience, and we believe high-quality video compression technology should be a part of the web platform," said Sundar Pichai, Vice President, Product Management, Google. "We are committed to innovation in video quality on the web, and we believe that On2's team and technology will help us further that goal."

"We're thrilled that On2 is joining one of the world's most innovative companies," said Matt Frost, interim CEO of On2. "After intensive review of On2 products, Google confirmed our long-held beliefs as to the quality of our video technologies. This transaction is a testament to the hard work of every On2 employee and the strongest possible endorsement of our products and people. On2 will continue to improve, support and sell our products throughout the transition. We believe that Google shares our ambitions and know that our products and expertise, combined with Google's globally recognized brand, ingenuity and resources, will create an incredible team."

On2 VP7 Video Codec Selected by 21Vianet

On2 Technologies, a leader in video compression solutions, announced it has licensed its VP7 video codec to 21ViaNet (China), Inc.. Founded in 1996, 21ViaNet is the leading carrier-neutral IDC service provider in China.

21ViaNet was named in Deloitte's '2008 Technology Fast 50 Companies in China' in recognition of its achievements and market success. The company has expansive partnerships with China's major telecom operators including China Telecom and China Unicom, as well as major content providers like CCTV. As part of its ongoing commitment to provide its extensive customer base with value added services, 21ViaNet has launched a new video services business division, using On2 Technologies'VP7 video codec as a key component of its video distribution platform.

The On2 VP7 video codec requires less data for high quality video, thereby reducing overall bandwidth costs without compromise to the end user viewing experience. As proprietary technology to On2, the video codec is patent pool free. This brings additional cost efficiency for publishing and distributing all kinds of content, as the video codec is not subject to MPEG-LA royalties. For more information about On2 VP7 please visit www.on2.com/on2video

The new On2 VP7-enabled video services division enables 21ViaNet to offer more value added options to its customers, assisting content providers and owners, such as TV stations and Telecom operators, to generate more traffic and to broaden revenue streams. 21Vianet is also currently developing another product that deploys On2 VP7 which it hopes will help promote sales of Internet video service enabled TV sets.

On2 Adds Support for JavaFX Video to Flix

Following the launch of Sun's JavaFX 1.0 platform, which introduces On2 Video as the cross platform video codec for JavaFX applications. On2 Technologies, Inc., a leader in video compression solutions, announced that support for JavaFX video has been integrated into its On2 Flix line of encoder products. On2 Flix currently is the only video encoding solution capable of outputting JavaFX video.

Renowned for performance and compatibility, On2 Flix video encoders range from desktop applications for consumers and professionals to server side encoding platforms for enterprise. Accepting the broadest range of video formats, in addition to JavaFX video, On2 Flix encoders also support VP6-E and VP6-S video for Adobe Flash Player 8 and 9, 3GPP-compliant mobile video, and H.264 video for Apple iPhone iPod and offer the most complete solution for creating and publishing web video.

The JavaFX 1.0 is the expressive platform for building rich internet applications (RIA) with immersive media and content, across all the screens of your life. It includes a runtime and a suite of tools that web scripters, technical designers and developers can use to quickly build and deliver the next generation of rich interactive applications for desktop, mobile devices, TV, and other platforms. For more information on the JavaFX family of products visit http://www.javafx.com

"The launch of JavaFX 1.0 is a significant milestone in our multi-year agreement with Sun" says Matt Frost, Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of On2 Technologies "On2 now brings video capability to the Java platform, the global standard that powers billions of devices from TVs to mobile phones, and our Flix encoding tools provide the Java community with the tools needed for creating and publishing high quality JavaFX video."

On2 Extends Relationship with Skype in New Strategic Agreement

On2 Technologies, a leader in video compression solutions, today announced that it has signed a new agreement with Skype, the world's leading online communications company, to extend Skype's relationship licensing On2's video codec technology.

Millions of people every day use Skype software to communicate with others through free voice and video calls. On2's technology provides encoding, scaling, pre-processing and post-processing of video on Skype. On2 supported the launch of video on Skype in 2005 with the integration of the On2 VP7 codec with Skype 2.0 for Windows. Since that time, Skype launched High Quality Video in October 2007, calling on the On2 codec, allowing users with as little as 0.5mbps available bandwidth to enjoy full screen video calls at VGA resolution. The On2 codec is also used in the recently announced Asus AiGuru SV1 Skype Certified Videophone. The new agreement is intended to pave the way for the On2 codec to migrate along with the Skype service to a diverse array of new devices such as the AiGuru SV1 videophone.

"On2 and Skype hold the same vision for video communications and through our close cooperation we have overcome the barriers keeping video calling out of reach for many," said Matt Frost, Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of On2 Technologies. "In the future, you can expect to see even better video quality requiring even less bandwidth, and this will help to make video calling even more commonplace."

The superior compression performance of the On2 codec makes High Quality Skype video calls possible even over data rate connections as low as 300kbps. Among the numerous quality-enhancing innovations in On2 video codecs is Golden Frames, which enables a sharp background image to be maintained with minimal data when the subject in the foreground is continually moving. This feature is also extremely beneficial for packet-loss recovery. On2 video codecs also require far less CPU power for full duplex live video than other compression formats, enabling Skype users with older and less powerful PC systems to enjoy high quality video calls, and allowing stand-alone devices like the AiGuru SV1 videophone to be produced cost effectively, using less expensive processor technology.

"Bringing a great video calling experience to the average consumer is one of Skype's key priorities, and we see On2 as a key partner in helping us deliver this," said Manrique Brenes, Skype's Director of Business Development and Product Management for Consumer Electronics. "Using On2's codecs along with extensive software development and optimization work by engineering teams at Skype, we are able to help consumers overcome bandwidth constraints and deliver best-in-class free video calling for consumers."

On2 Technologies Announces New HD Hardware Encoder IP

On2 Technologies, the leader in video compression solutions, announced the availability of the Hantro 7280 encoder Register Transfer Level (RTL) design. Supporting MPEG-4, H.263 and H.264 video, along with 16MP JPEG, the encoder is targeted for chipsets intended for devices with very low-power requirements such as: portable video cameras, mobile phones, remote security cameras, laptops and webcams. With a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 at 30 fps, the Hantro 7280 introduces a new level of performance and functionality.

Following the Hantro 6280, which was licensed by more than 15 leading chip manufacturers, the encoder brings further speed improvements to achieve resolutions up to 1280x1024 at 30 fps. Easily encoding full 720p H.264 at 30 fps in only 180 MHz clock frequency, the 7280 brings ultra-high performance to 65 nm and 90 nm low-power chipsets. Placing a CPU load of less than 1MHz, the Hantro 7280 allows even an entry level ARM9-based chipset to encode real-time HD H.264 video with plenty of headroom to spare. The new encoder also incorporates proprietary image stabilization technology which reduces the effects of camera shake prior to encoding resulting in higher quality video with better compression.

Optimized for rapid integration with ARM, MIPS and other embedded CPU and DSP cores, the Hantro 7280 marries high performance with ultra low-power and efficient silicon utilization. Silicon area can be further optimized for unique applications by selecting only the formats and screen resolutions required with area reduced to as small as 0.19 square millimeters per 139,000 gates. Additional area savings can be gained in a full codec solution by sharing internal memories with the Hantro 8190 multi-format decoder.

"For portable devices, battery-life is a critical success factor and manufacturers seek to optimize in every aspect." says Eero Kaikkonen, Chief Marketing Officer at On2. "The 7280 requires only 12 mW to encode VGA H.264 in real-time. Although in practice it is not possible, theoretically an ARM 11 would require as much as 500mW to achieve the same performance."

The Hantro 7280 is available now for licensing from On2. The product comes complete with RTL source code for VHDL or Verilog, an RTL test bench and test data, ANSI C driver source code and complete technical documentation.