Sharon Carmel on video encoding efficiency

In this interview, Jan Ozer from the Streaming Learning Center speaks with Sharon Carmel, Founder and CEO of Beamr, at Mile High Video 2025. They discuss Beamr's latest advancements in super-resolution technology utilizing NVIDIA GPU rendering and the continued evolution of content-adaptive encoding. Sharon explains how Beamr's solutions significantly enhance video resolution and achieve bitrate efficiency while maintaining high-quality. Beamr’s content-adaptive bitrate (CABR) optimization is already running in real-time at 4K60 using NVIDIA GPUs. However, the super-resolution demo is not in real-time yet—although real-time processing is the ultimate goal. They also explore the impact of AI on video scaling, the advantages of content-adaptive encoding, and the future of video codecs like HEVC, AV1, and VVC. Key Topics Covered: 00:00:00 – 00:00:23 – Introduction to Sharon Carmel and Beamr's presence at Mile High Video. 00:00:23 – 00:00:45 – Overview of Beamr's super-resolution solution on NVIDIA GPUs. 00:00:45 – 00:01:24 – Real-time 4K P60 optimization and 40% bitrate efficiency using Nvenc. 00:01:24 – 00:01:45 – Explanation of super-resolution and its benefits for video archives. 00:01:45 – 00:02:09 – Automatic enhancement of old video content with AI-driven super-resolution. 00:02:09 – 00:02:56 – Testing super-resolution: subjective quality evaluation and crowdsourcing feedback. 00:02:56 – 00:03:45 – Comparison with TV scalers and the role of AI in generating new image details. 00:03:45 – 00:04:12 – How Beamr's super-resolution outperforms traditional TV scaling techniques. 00:04:12 – 00:05:06 – Beamr's collaboration with NVIDIA and GPU integration for content-adaptive encoding. Want to strengthen your streaming skills or understand how the business really works? Check out these courses from SVTA University: • Streaming Media 101 - https://university.svta.org/courses/s... Master the fundamentals of streaming technology—from codec selection and encoding ladders to packaging for HLS and DASH. Whether you're building workflows or making key tech decisions, this hands-on course will level up your technical game in under 12 hours. • Streaming Monetization 101 - https://university.svta.org/courses/s... Explore how streaming services make money through ads, subscriptions, FAST, and more. Perfect for anyone working in OTT strategy, product, or ad tech who wants a clear, fast-paced overview of the entire monetization engine—tech stack included. 00:05:06 – 00:06:01 – Development of fine-grained control APIs for Nvenc and GPU-based encoding efficiency. 00:06:01 – 00:06:28 – Codec modernization: transitioning from AVC to HEVC and AV1 with enhanced efficiency. 00:06:28 – 00:07:18 – Per-frame quality assessment and maintaining consistent video quality. 00:07:18 – 00:08:00 – Advantages of content-adaptive quality measurement on GPUs. 00:08:00 – 00:08:49 – Market trends: HEVC, AV1, and their adoption among Beamr's customer base. 00:08:49 – 00:09:22 – Growth of AV1 in user-generated content and second-screen viewing. 00:09:22 – 00:09:44 – Beamr's AV1 solution using NVIDIA GPUs for 40% bitrate efficiency. 00:09:44 – 00:10:40 – Future outlook on VVC and the long adoption cycle of new video codecs. 00:10:40 – 00:11:33 – Importance of Mile High Video for industry networking and knowledge sharing. This insightful conversation explores how Beamr leverages AI and GPU technology to push the boundaries of video quality and efficiency. Whether you’re interested in codec modernization or the future of video streaming, this interview provides valuable perspectives from one of the industry leaders.