On2 Technologies Helps Provide High Quality Video for Skype

On2
Technologies, announced that a
new version of its TrueMotion VP7 video compression is used in Skype 3.6 for
Windows to help deliver High Quality Video calling to Skype users.

The beta
version of Skype 3.6 for Windows can be downloaded from skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windows/beta.
The VP7 update helps Skype users experience sharper and smoother video
calls in a bigger call window. The updated video technology needs
significantly lower bandwidth and processing power than is normally required
for comparable video quality.

“Skype has
already helped fuel the incredible popularity of free video calls over the
Internet,” said Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s general manager for audio and video.
“The new VP7 update, along with extensive optimization work by engineering
teams at Skype and Logitech, has moved the bar even higher. It has done so
within processor and bandwidth constraints that make this quality available to
a broad group of people.”

Skype has
used On2’s award-winning VP7 video compression since 2005. VP7 technology
is designed to provide superb video at very low data rates and perform
efficiently on low-power processors. The new VP7 update is specifically
designed for video conferencing, using optimizations targeted at stable camera
video and processor scalability.

“In
conjunction with Skype and partner Logitech, we have been able to optimize VP7
to achieve video-quality improvements while maintaining tremendous bandwidth
efficiency,” said Bill Joll, president and CEO of On2 Technologies. “These are
remarkable results for video conferencing. Users will find that they can get
lifelike High Quality Video at 384 kbps, a fraction of the bandwidth of most
broadband connections.”