Solution Brief Digital Content Creation Intel and Sonic Solutions: Bringing Enhanced Video to Audiences Everywhere Digital video is lighting up screens and capturing the imaginations of computer users everywhere, a trend that places unusually high demands on both computer platforms and software applications. The latest product releases from one of the most agile and innovative software producers in this space, Sonic Solutions, respond to this trend in a direct and forthright way, delivering a series of tuned and optimized applications that capitalize on the forward-looking platform technologies from Intel. The result is enhanced video experiences for consumers and a collection of software applications designed to speed through as many frames per second as is physically possible on a given machine. To some degree, the outstanding results achieved by Sonic in its development efforts can be traced to a rich collaborative history between Sonic and Intel and the hard work of engineers on the staffs of both companies. This solution brief highlights the tools and techniques that proved useful in the development process and describes some of the areas where substantial performance gains and productivity boosts were achieved. The close cooperation between Sonic and Intel has led to a successful integration of the powerful Intel Media SDK into the Sonic playback pipeline. At Sonic we expect to use this product in both playback and transcoding scenarios in future applications, including our popular Roxio*-branded consumer software line. We appreciate the forward-looking, portable design of the Intel Media SDK and the fact development was smooth and efficient. - Wei Ding, Vice President of Engineering, Sonic Solutions
Techniques for Optimizing and Tuning Video Applications The collaborative relationship between Sonic Solutions and Intel extends back several years and has yielded significant benefits in numerous areas and on multiple platforms. Among the recent platforms from Intel that have been targeted for upcoming software releases from Sonic are: Intel X58 Express chipset Intel Core 2 Duo processor Intel Centrino 2 processor technology Intel Core 2 Extreme processor Intel Core i7 processor Intel Core i7 mobile processor Sonic Solutions integration of the Intel Media Software Development Kit (Intel Media SDK) into Roxio CinePlayer* and Roxio Creator* 2010 provides the advantages of hardware acceleration on today s graphics platforms with support for future graphics platforms, as well. The video copy-and-conversion feature in Creator 2010 was also optimized to enhance performance and responsiveness through the use of multi-threading. Intel provided assistance in this engineering effort, and Sonic Solutions used a number of tools from the Intel Software Development Products offering, including the Intel Media SDK, Intel Threading Building Blocks, Intel VTune Performance Analyzer, Intel Thread Profiler, and others. The Intel Media SDK, in particular, delivered a productivity boost and the reliability of proven, refined codec performance to the Sonic development team. Roxio CinePlayer* Enhancements Providing a cost-effective way to decode and play back DVDs on PCs, Roxio CinePlayer has built a solid customer base in the consumer market for its high-quality video and crisp audio delivery. The Windows Vista*-compatible player provides full support for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and handles InterActual* content embedded on DVDs. During the engagement with Intel, engineers focused on enhancing playback of high-definition (HD) video content when running on computers equipped with the Intel G45 Express chipset. To this end, the Intel Media SDK proved useful in providing developers streamlined access to the hardware acceleration features offered by a key component of the Intel G45 Express chipset: the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD (Intel GMA X4500HD) with built-in support for 1080p HD video playback. The hardware acceleration helps provide an enhanced end-user experience through faster decoding of MPEG-2, AVC, and VC1 video content whether from DVD or streamed from the Internet. Utilizing hardware acceleration for MPEG-2, AVC, and VC1 decoding, Roxio CinePlayer* gained significant CPU performance improvements running on Intel G45 [Express chipset] platforms. As high-definition video becomes the norm for personal video, support for hardware encoding for MPEG-2 and AVCHD improves the user experience in Roxio Creator* by reducing encoding times dramatically. - Michael Demeyer, VP Corporate Products, Sonic Solutions Roxio Creator* 2010 Optimizations Collaborative engineering work with Intel on the optimization of Roxio Creator 2009 provided a solid foundation for further improvements made to Roxio Creator 2010, which is now optimized for the latest generation of Intel multi-core processors. As a result of the product development and technology enablement work, Roxio Creator 2010 end-users will experience faster video transcoding, quicker rendering, and enhanced performance for the MPEG-2 software and hardware decoders, as well as the AVCHD hardware encoder. Improvements made to the application to accelerate the processing of AVCHD videos in Creator 2010 will save users hours of processing time compared to that of earlier releases. Those portions of the program suite in which substantial improvements were demonstrated based on the optimization work include: Video Capture & Convert for encoding, transcoding, and format conversion of video content Basic video editing Displaying previews of edit results Operations that include trans-coding and outputting video content Intel tools and technologies contributed to the productivity of the development team and the performance capabilities of the resulting products. 2
Original Other ISV Auto Contrast Sonic Auto Contrast Other ISV Auto Level Sonic Auto Level Other ISV Auto Color Sonic Auto Color Figure 1. Comparison of auto-enhanced video frames between Sonic Solutions and other independent software vendors. Deep Technical Work Ji Bai, one of the Intel application engineers who works closely with Sonic, attested to the significant level of the optimization and tuning work during the most recent engagement between the two companies. The technical work with Sonic has been very deep, he said. We have all the related source code base in house at Intel, allowing Intel experts on multi-core processing to dig into the source code and pinpoint areas where optimizations can achieve the best results. For example, the code for MyDVD, a component of the Roxio Creator suite, was modified to include video enhancements that can be applied automatically to correct digital video images for contrast, levels, color balance, and other factors. Tests conducted by Intel that compare enhanced video frames in Sonic applications where this capability has been integrated correspond favorably with auto-enhanced frames generated by other market leaders in the digital video space (Figure 1). This type of deep technology work has benefits for both companies. Intel is able to effectively improve and enhance upcoming processor architectures more effectively through in-depth understanding of the needs of independent software vendors. Sonic Solutions is able to sharpen its product performances and capabilities to take advantage more fully of the leading-edge technology developments and platform features. And, of course, the end-users receive the ultimate benefits: products that are tuned and optimized to give them a positive experience and great results working with and viewing digital video. The application engineer from the Intel Developer Relations Division gives us great technical help on performance. After deep technical work with Intel, we are seeing a great performance boost in our CinePlayer* application when running on cutting-edge Intel processor-based platforms. - Jing Yang, CinePlayer Senior Engineer Manager, Sonic Solutions 3
Intel Media SDK: A Tool for Streamlining and Tuning Video Applications As has been the case with a number of companies, Sonic Solutions was able to take advantage of the features and capabilities of the Intel Media SDK to shorten its product development cycle and improve performance on a range of platforms. The video encoder and decoder algorithms that form the heart of the Intel Media SDK have been refined and improved (and often embedded in partner software applications) to a high degree of efficiency and tuned for maximum performance on past, present, and future Intel platforms. This refinement process has resulted in a very easy-to-use, versatile application programming interface (API) that can serve as a standard interface for coding to a wide range of hardware platforms. The versatility is evident in the open architecture approach that allows companies to extend the API beyond Intel-based graphics chipsets and architectures to support any number of third-party graphics hardware solutions or software codecs. Given the complexities and difficulties in programming for optimal video performance in software applications, the Intel Media SDK is well positioned to serve as a de facto standard that effectively addresses many of the most pressing considerations of software developers. Developers who have struggled to implement the Microsoft DirectX* Video Acceleration (DxVA) specifications will appreciate the Intel Media SDK features that simplify DxVA use. The Intel Media SDK also includes x86 legacy support, providing surprisingly efficient software encoding and decoding capabilities for systems that lack specific graphics hardware acceleration features. Delivering Great Performance By implementing code using the libraries and samples included in the Intel Media SDK, developers are assured a high-performance solution for video encoding and decoding. Optimizing code for individual target platforms is not required because the Intel Media SDK automatically optimizes the video functions for each of the supported target platforms. The developer writes the code once and is done. Performance is built into the process. These benefits will also extend into the future. Current Intel platforms and those in the future will support the acceleration capabilities made available by the Intel Media SDK interface. Optimizing and tuning software code for a particular platform requires an intimate understanding of the features, capabilities, and architectural design of the platform components. In tailoring Roxio CinePlayer for the best performance on computers equipped with the Intel G45 Express chipset, Sonic Solutions was able to leverage Intel s expertise simply by relying on the Intel Media SDK. Performance of video encoding and decoding operations is linked closely to the optimal capabilities of the available hardware, producing code that is uniquely tuned to platform benefits. Because tuning and optimization constitute a fairly substantial portion of the overall tasks required to create a high-quality digital media application, the Intel Media SDK elevates performance to a level not out of line with custom tuning while simultaneously freeing programmers to devote their creativity to more rewarding tasks. Figure 2 shows the high-level architecture of the Intel Media SDK. 4
intel Media SDK High-Level Architecture Sample Applications (Source code) (Encoders, decoders, transcode) ISV Applications Sample Media Framework Plug-ins (Source code for video encode, decode) ISV Plug-Ins Media Library Dispatcher Media SDK API (encode, decode, pre-processing) CPU Optimized Media Library Intel Integrated Graphics Optimized Media Library Intel Discrete Graphics Optimized Media Library Platform-Specific Implementations DXvA/DDI Extensions Graphics Drivers Graphics Drivers Figure 2. Intel Media SDK high-level architecture. Supporting Future Graphics Architectures Keeping abreast of the latest technology advances in the graphicsprocessing arena is no trivial matter, and this area is particularly a key focus for any company producing solutions that generate or play back HD video. Future-proofing software products is not only possible, but very easy through the use of the Intel Media SDK. The SDK libraries and tools produce code that includes support for upcoming graphics platforms from Intel that are scheduled for release. Of particular interest to the development community, the next-generation graphics architecture code-named Larrabee is accessible through the API of the Intel Media SDK, so that as soon as products begin reaching market with this architecture inside, software applications will be able to identify and take advantage of the parallelism and unique feature capabilities offered by Larrabee, including hardware acceleration. Craig Hurst, senior product marketing manager and media strategist for the Visual Computing Software Division at Intel, explained this concept further. Here is a way to think about it. Imagine that you re a developer writing a simple transcoder that is going to take a movie and convert it for use on an ipod*. I can use the [Intel ] Media SDK API for building those functions within my application. If there is a hardware acceleration capability for encode or decode on a platform, then my application will use that automatically. I get the full performance benefits of that component for the encode and decode operations. If hardware acceleration components are not present, Hurst continued, the application will fall back to a software-only implementation for encode and decode that will be fully threaded and full optimized to take advantage of the processor. The benefit to me is I don t have to worry about whether it is a fixed function piece of silicon that runs my encoder or decoder or if it is software. It just works. Intel is committed to helping partners plan, develop, and market software products in the rapidly growing visual computing sector and provides a wide range of information, technology roadmaps, development tools, forums, blogs, and online catalogs to ensure that the development community can capitalize on the latest platform components from Intel. The Intel Media SDK is an important part of the revolutionary advances being achieved in the digital video space. By equipping developers with a powerful toolset that both taps into present and future hardware acceleration, the Intel Media SDK extends the possibilities of application development, liberating development teams to focus on product enhancements and market differentiators with each new video-related application they produce. Well positioned to serve as a standardized API that produces optimized code for Intel processor and graphics processor environments, the Intel Media SDK also accommodates any graphics hardware added to the mix 5
through custom DLLs. The productivity, performance, and efficiency benefits of the Intel Media SDK have already attracted many software companies creating trend-setting products and are sure to attract more as its features and capabilities become more familiar to the development community. When you know that the code you re producing is going to accommodate graphics hardware in the future and that Intel is the world s largest supplier of graphics hardware it s like money in the bank for software companies. - Craig Hurst, Senior Marketing Manager for Visual Computing, Intel The close cooperation between Sonic and Intel has led to a successful integration of the powerful Intel Media SDK into the Sonic playback pipeline. At Sonic we expect to use this product in both playback and transcoding scenarios in future applications, including our popular Roxio*-branded consumer software line. We appreciate the forwardlooking, portable design of the Intel Media SDK and the fact development was smooth and efficient. Preparing for a High-Definition Future The popularity of digital video is attracting increasing numbers of consumers who are not only viewing movies and Internet clips in digital formats, but also thoroughly enjoying creating their own videos and recording them to DVD for sharing experiences with friends and family members. Practically, the acquisition and editing of HD video content is too slow and tedious without a well-tuned computer of recent vintage and the right software. The collaborative work between Sonic Solutions and Intel lets consumers take maximum advantage of the latest hardware technologies from Intel, with strong, highly optimized software solutions such as Roxio CinePlayer and Roxio Creator 10 giving consumers the tools to both enjoy and create high-quality video content. The rising popularity of Blu-ray* discs as a medium for distributing and watching movies is also a trend that has been recognized by Sonic Solutions. The playback of Blu-ray discs through CinePlayer BD on computers using Intel Graphics components will be smoother and more fluid because of the optimization work done by Sonic Solutions and Intel. As digital video continues to evolve and present new challenges to solution providers, ongoing work carried out by Sonic Solutions and Intel will smooth the path to enhanced video playback and creation. - Wei Ding, Vice President of Engineering, Sonic Solutions 6
The efficiencies [from Intel Media SDK] that are gained from a developer perspective are considerable. From a development perspective, now I can focus on my engineering teams I can have more cycles for them to add new features that I have always wanted to add or develop a new product that we didn t have time to develop before. - Craig Hurst, Senior Product Marketing Manager and Media Strategist for the Visual Computing Software Division at Intel 7
For More Information Obtain the latest product information and download details for the Intel Media SDK at: www.intel.com/software/mediasdk/ To learn more about the CinePlayer* family of SDKs, offering developers optimized media playback solutions for consumer electronics, visit: www.sonic.com/products/developer/atg_cineplayer.aspx For more information about professional compression and authoring solutions from Sonic Solutions, visit: www.sonic.com/ppg.aspx To learn the latest on tools and techniques to accelerate application performance and tap into the power of multi-core processors, visit the Intel Software Development Products home: http://software.intel.com/en-us/intel-sdp-home/ Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel Core are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. This document is for informational purposes only. INTEL MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. Copyright 2009 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. 1109/TS/MESH/PDF Please Recycle 322878-001US