Researchers create vector-based video codec, announce the pixel's death

Researchers at the U.K.'s University of Bath, Root6 Technology, Smoke & Mirrors and Ovation Data Services have created a resolution-independent video codec that they claim could make the pixel obsolete, according to an article published at the University's website.

Rather than encode video files on a pixel-by-pixel basis, which is dependent on ever more pixels for higher quality video, the codec stores the information in vector form, which will "fill between the contours" of a standard pixel grid. Applications for the video game industry could involve services like OnLive and Gaikai, which stream video files of games to their consoles.

What's needed now, according to Professor Phil Willis of Bath University's Department of Computer Science, is funding.

"However, to accelerate this project we'll need companies from around the world to get involved," Willis said. "At the moment we're focusing on applications in post-production and we're working directly with leading companies in this area, however there are clear applications in web, tablets and mobile which we haven't explored in detail yet."