When Will Roll-Out LCEVC In ABS-CBN's iWant TFC Livestream?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As part of zero tolerance on disinformation, this blog opens the door to correct my topic among fact checkers in the Philippines as well as information side of ABS-CBN. Any reliable research and correction to share may e-mail me at albcorph01@gmail.com.

* * *

Two years have passed when ABS-CBN halted their analog TV and radio broadcast due to expiration of Congressional broadcast franchise, but then a request for a renewal in Congressional hearing had been denied. A big blow of traditional media industry may suffer financial losses in terms of reach to key Filipino audiences from middle-class to urban/rural poor that rely on traditional analog radio and TV set. Fortunately, the network continue to broadcast on key providers of cable TV and direct-to-home satellite DTV in the Philippines; blocktiming on other local terrestrial TV networks; and also online streaming.

Yes, TV broadcast online streaming would be the new norm of viewing habit not only at home (thru home fiber network) but also on the go (thru 4G and/or 5G network). Although online media streaming was started in the experimental phase in 1990s to 2000s, the technology was further improved over the years.

As with other broadcasters around the world that have had also migrated to a new infotech ecosystem, ABS-CBN, on one hand, opens the door to adopt a digital platform to broadcast their content in real time before their legacy analog broadcast would gone forever so as to continue their business.

In mid-decade 2000s following the roll-out of DSL broadband Internet, ABS-CBN launched ABS-CBN Now (later rebranded as TFC Now in some time), an online subscription basis streaming service that required Windows Media Player (version 7 or higher) to play the content in SD format encoded on Windows Media Video codec at 240p 30 frames per second. Paying the service may be either credit card both locally and globally or a prepaid card in key countries outside Philippine territory.

While the number of subscribers of that streaming site remain low, however, it would be a great challenge to gain traction as it was often affected by video streaming piracy on most ABS-CBN TV shows such as a popular YouTube and/or even blog-based catch-up web video clip. In order to solve that problem occurred from local Internet computer arcade in the Philippines, the digital division of the network behind ABS-CBN.com introduced iWant TV in 2010s.

The locally streaming site gain traction for most Filipino web users to use that platform even without requiring to pay subscription fees but only ads before playing the main content. But the version of that site was later reformatted and rebranded as iWant in 2018 that features its own original series aside from current line-up of ABS-CBN TV shows where the TV Entertainment division of the network was also partnered with. Coincidentally, that strategy may be regarded as a localized direct competitor of hit Netflix Originals at a time when high speed broadband Internet was improved, from 3G to 4G and from DSL-capable telephone line to home fiber-optic broadband.

Aside from offering both the webpage for PCs and mobile apps for a separate Apple iOS and Android devices for over the years, the service has now offering for smart TV devices and even streaming boxes following for a transition to be partnered with the then TFC.tv and the service was rebranded as iWant TFC in 2020s.

The streaming platform ABS-CBN under the "iWant" banner uses only H.264 encoded video content and the format was capped at a maximum up to 720p to 1080p resolution and up to 24 frames per second in playback on most "movie quality-like" feature ABS-CBN teleserye in HD or 30 frames per second on livestream. No HDR quality was produced but rather "adaptive SDR"; nor Dolby digital sound but only AAC in either mono or stereo, in order to reduce subscription cost.

And speaking of livestream, we often missed to enjoy a full 60 fps scene on live or pre-recorded TV shows just as a traditional solid-state analog TV broadcast. Setting only 30 fps video stream, the technique that was often done to reduce data bandwidth not exceeding 2 to 3 Mbps, may likely not so attractive to watch, compared to a typical cable or satellite HDTV that uses 1080i 60 fps format.

A common artifact on livestreaming is that a visible "blocky" detail might occur, even when broadcasting on live stage dance performance or even moving crowd scene. This was the only limitation when using x264 encoder as opposed to x265 encoder as part of HEVC-based platform that was not so afford to roll-out due to a multiple patent licensing pools among manufacturers in consumer electronics. The only alternative to reduce video artifact is the open-source VP9 codec used in YouTube, where the official online channel of ABS-CBN Entertainment was currently running.

Is there any way for ABS-CBN's streaming service to make a higher video quality that performs as like as watching a good-old-day cable TV broadcast in HD, 4K, or 8K content, offering an affordable subscription without a detriment to low-income TV audiences?

But before I proceed, I have a full disclaimer. I am not an expertise in computing engineering nor an expertise in digital TV broadcasting, but rather an informed ordinary citizen to share based on facts from reliable online sources made by various technological expertise, since I was a follower of official DTV Pilipinas Facebook page started in 2010s.

The only solution not only improves video quality but also reduces data bandwidth compatible to legacy devices that support only MPEG-2, H.263, and H.264 video decoder is the use of Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding (LCEVC).

Developed by V-Nova, the system, formerly codenamed "Perseus" in experiment phase, applies to any existing industry-standard video codecs, whether MPEG-based (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.263, H.264, HEVC, VVC, EVC) or open-sourced (VP8, VP9, AV1). An LCEVC-compliant system sets up two or more layers per frame: the base layer at lower resolution in "medium speed encoding" and the top layer in succeeding higher resolution set for one or more in "very slow encoding" creating a "canvas style" quality known as "residuals".

An optional HDR-generated video scene support for that system may be possible. Since legacy codecs do not support HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and/or HLG unlike HEVC and soon VVC, LCEVC uses a specialized adaptive brightness and contrast ratio to make a near color vibrance of visual representation.

A high frame rate support from TV broadcast playthrough to LCEVC-compliant encoding may be also possible despite of the fact that legacy codecs capped only a maximum of 25 to 30 frames per second (per field in interlaced video). To allow progressive scanned 50 to 60 frames per second, the base layer must set at lower resolution (for example, 172 × 96 pixels) in order to process even at lower computational power on some older CPU.

The system ensures improved video encoding speed and reduce computational power even performing on live TV broadcast digitally in real time without suffering frequent buffering, since it may require only lower data footprint. Compared to standalone HEVC, an LCEVC-compliant H.264 encoded content is "nearly clearer" with only a slight artifact.

For now, LCEVC as well as partner codec VC-6 (for professional broadcast apllication) being offered by V-Nova was currently deployed on various TV broadcasters of select European countries to test these platforms applying only on IPTV and streaming. No reliable information was available for a possibility to apply also on over-the-air and satellite DTV.

I was often tweeted to the official Twitter account of iWant TFC to state my suggestion for them to study and roll-out the system away from the current conventional x264 encoder. But that's not that easy to show a full possibility and expectation due to the current "fact checking basis"; that is, they would be so cautious to validate a claim whether it would be reliable or not. (Of course, disinformation in the Philippines became prevalent on social media so various independent journalists, academians, and historians have had push back against those fallacies.)

If LCEVC would push through, then not only apply for livestreaming but also apply for IPTV, over-the-air (ISDB-T), and direct-to-home satellite (DVB-S2) DTV broadcast, in spite most localized DTV channels currently set on SD rather than HD.

So when will roll out LCEVC in the Philippines in the distant future? Well, it's up for ABS-CBN and other local terrestrial TV networks to decide after discovering and reading on this blog that remains open for a wish to try and study that platform.

* * *

For more information, visit V-Nova.com