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Avid DNxHD
View on WikipediaAvid DNxHD ("Digital Nonlinear Extensible High Definition") is a lossy high-definition video post-production codec developed by Avid for multi-generation compositing with reduced storage and bandwidth requirements. It is an implementation of SMPTE VC-3 standard.[1]
Overview
[edit]DNxHD is a video codec intended to be usable as both an intermediate format suitable for use while editing and as a presentation format. DNxHD data is typically stored in an MXF container, although it can also be stored in a QuickTime container.
On February 13, 2008, Avid reported that DNxHD was approved as compliant with the SMPTE VC-3 standard.[2]
DNxHD is intended to be an open standard, but as of March 2008, has remained effectively a proprietary Avid format. The source code for the Avid DNxHD codec is freely available from Avid for internal evaluation and review, although commercial use requires Avid licensing approval. It has been commercially licensed to a number of companies including Ikegami, FilmLight, Harris Corporation, JVC, Seachange, EVS Broadcast Equipment.[3]
On September 14, 2014, at the Avid Connect event in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Avid announced the DNxHR codec to support resolutions greater than 1080p, such as 2K and 4K.[4]
On December 22, 2014, Avid Technology released an update for Media Composer that added support for 4K resolution, the Rec. 2020 color space, and a bit rate of up to 3,730 Mbit/s with the DNxHR codec.[5][6]
Implementations
[edit]DNxHD was first supported in Avid DS Nitris (Sept 2004), then Avid Media Composer Adrenaline with the DNxcel option (Dec 2004) and finally by Avid Symphony Nitris (Dec 2005). Xpress Pro is limited to using DNxHD 8-bit compression, which is either imported from file or captured using a Media Composer with Adrenaline hardware. Media Composer 2.5 also allows editing of fully uncompressed HD material that was either imported or captured on a Symphony Nitris or DS Nitris system. Ikegami's Editcam camera system is unique in its support for DNxHD, and records directly to DNxHD encoded video. Such material is immediately accessible by editing platforms that directly support the DNxHD codec. The Arri Alexa supports DNxHD since November 2011. Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 and HyperDeck Studio support DNxHD as of 2012.[7] AJA Video Systems has supported the DNxHD codec in its Ki Pro Mini and Ki Pro Rack recorders and players since 2012.
A standalone QuickTime codec for both Windows XP and Mac OS X is available to create and play QuickTime files containing DNxHD material.
Since September 2007, the open source FFmpeg project is providing 8-bit VC-3/DNxHD encoding and decoding features thanks to BBC Research who sponsored the project and Baptiste Coudurier who implemented it. In July 2011, FFmpeg added 10-bit encoding support.[8] DNxHD support is included in stable version 0.5 of FFmpeg, released on March 10, 2009.[9][10] This allows Linux non-linear video editors Cinelerra and Kdenlive to use DNxHD.
At the April 2012 NAB show, Brevity introduced a customized algorithm for the accelerated transport and encoding of DNxHD files.[11]
Technical details
[edit]DNxHD is very similar to JPEG. Every frame is independent and consists of VLC-coded DCT coefficients.
The header consists of many parts and may include quantization tables and 2048 bits of user data. Each frame also has two GUIDs and timestamp. The frame header is packed into big-endian dwords. Actual frame data consists of packed macroblocks using a technique almost identical to JPEG: DC prediction and variable-length codes with run length encoding for other 63 coefficients. DC coefficient is not quantized.
The codec supports alpha channel information.
VC-3
[edit]The DNxHD codec was submitted to the SMPTE organization as the framework for the VC-3 family of standards. It was approved as SMPTE VC-3 after a two-year testing and validation process in 2008 and 2009:[1][2][12][13]
- SMPTE 2019-1-2008 VC-3 Picture Compression and Data Stream Format
- SMPTE 2019-3-2008 VC-3 Type Data Stream Mapping Over SDTI
- SMPTE 2019-4-2009 Mapping VC-3 Coding Units into the MXF Generic Container
- RP (Recommended Practices) 2019-2-2009 VC-3 Decoder and Bitstream Conformance
References
[edit]- ^ a b Avid Technology, Inc. (2008-02-13). "Avid DNxHD is First Codec Compliant with SMPTE VC-3". Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ a b "Avid DNxHD is First Codec Compliant with SMPTE VC-3". Archived from the original on 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
- ^ "Avid DNxHD Licensees". Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "Avid Introduces DNxHR Codec for 2K, 4K, and UHD Editing". Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ Wim Van den Broeck (2014-12-22). "Editing 4K and Beyond in Media Composer Now Available with Avid Resolution Independence Update". Avid Technology. Archived from the original on 2014-12-24. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
- ^ Bryant Frazer (2014-12-22). "Starting Today, You Can Finally Edit 4K Natively in the Avid". studiodaily. Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
- ^ Design, Blackmagic. "HyperDeck Shuttle - Blackmagic Design". blackmagic-design.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ^ "Commit message for dnxhd 10-bit support in FFmpeg git repository". Retrieved 2013-01-21.
- ^ FFmpeg version 0.5[permanent dead link], Retrieved on 2009-08-09
- ^ FFmpeg General documentation - Video codecs Archived 2014-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 2009-08-09
- ^ "NAB 2012: Brevity Emerges From Stealth Mode". Sports Video Group. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- ^ SMPTE, Standards development and the SMPTE role (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-09, retrieved 2010-08-18
- ^ "Numerical SMPTE Standards List". Archived from the original on 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
External links
[edit]Avid DNxHD
View on GrokipediaIntroduction
Definition and Purpose
Avid DNxHD is a lossy, intra-frame, high-definition video codec developed by Avid Technology specifically for post-production editing.[7][1] As part of Avid's DNx family of codecs, it supports 8-bit and 10-bit depths with 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 chroma subsampling (depending on the variant) to deliver broadcast-quality images while supporting efficient handling of HD content.[7][8] Its intra-frame compression treats each video frame independently, enabling seamless real-time playback and editing without introducing temporal artifacts during manipulation.[1] The primary purpose of DNxHD is to serve as an intermediate codec in professional video workflows, facilitating multi-generation compositing, effects processing, and color correction with minimal quality loss across repeated encoding passes. Typically wrapped in MXF OP1a containers and freely licensed for broad implementation across platforms, it optimizes resource use in demanding post-production environments.[8][7] By providing reduced storage and bandwidth requirements compared to uncompressed formats, it maintains high visual fidelity suitable for HD projects.[8] This design ensures that workflows remain efficient, supporting non-destructive editing and easy relinking to original source media.[7] DNxHD is targeted at non-linear editing systems (NLEs) within film and television post-production, where it functions as a reliable working format for standalone editors and collaborative teams.[7] It integrates natively with Avid's Media Composer software, streamlining the transition from acquisition to final delivery in high-resolution pipelines.[7]Historical Development
Avid developed DNxHD in the early 2000s as a high-definition video codec specifically designed to overcome the limitations of legacy codecs in post-production workflows, enabling editors to handle HD material with the same ease and quality retention as standard-definition editing.[9] This innovation addressed the increasing demands of HD adoption in broadcasting and film production, where traditional compression methods often resulted in quality degradation or excessive storage requirements during multi-generation compositing.[9] The codec was announced at the NAB 2004 convention, with first commercial support in Avid DS Nitris systems in summer 2004, followed by integration into Avid Media Composer Adrenaline with the DNxcel option in December 2004.[10][9] As an intermediate codec for post-production, DNxHD was optimized for Avid's hardware-accelerated systems, providing mastering-quality 8-bit or 10-bit HD media at data rates comparable to uncompressed SD.[9] Early adoption was driven by its seamless integration with Avid's Nitris and Adrenaline hardware cards, which facilitated real-time playback and capture of HD content via standard HD-SDI connections, supporting formats like DVCPRO HD and allowing mixed-resolution timelines without compromising performance.[9] In 2006, Avid submitted DNxHD to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as the proposed framework for the VC-3 standard, undergoing a rigorous two-year review process that culminated in its approval in 2008.[2]Technical Details
Compression Method
Avid DNxHD utilizes a core compression algorithm based on the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), which operates exclusively on intra-frames without any inter-frame prediction, ensuring each frame is encoded independently for enhanced editing flexibility in professional workflows.[7] The DCT transforms spatial data from 8x8 pixel blocks into the frequency domain, allowing efficient removal of redundancy within individual frames.[11][12] The encoding process focuses on spatial compression: after applying the DCT to luminance and chrominance components, the coefficients undergo quantization to control data reduction, followed by entropy coding via Huffman tables to further compact the bitstream.[13][14] This method supports both progressive and interlaced scanning formats, adapting to various broadcast and production needs while maintaining frame independence.[2] Chroma is handled through 4:2:2 subsampling in the YCbCr color space, which preserves sufficient color detail for high-quality video while aligning with industry standards for broadcast compatibility.[7][15] The decoding process requires a simple, low-complexity implementation, facilitating real-time playback and processing on standard hardware without demanding specialized resources.[2] DNxHD is engineered for quality preservation during multi-pass editing, employing fixed quantization tables to ensure consistent results and minimize generation loss or artifacts across repeated encode-decode cycles.[14][16]Supported Formats
Avid DNxHD primarily supports high-definition video resolutions, including 1920×1080 in both progressive (1080p) and interlaced (1080i) scan modes, as well as 1280×720 progressive (720p). It also accommodates select standard-definition resolutions, such as 720×486 for NTSC and 720×576 for PAL, allowing compatibility with legacy broadcast workflows. These formats adhere to the specifications outlined in SMPTE ST 2019-1, the standard for VC-3 picture compression, which defines the data stream for such resolutions in 8-bit and 10-bit depths with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling.[17][18][15] The codec supports a variety of frame rates to match international production and broadcast requirements, including 23.976 fps, 24 fps, 25 fps, 29.97 fps, 30 fps, 50 fps, 59.94 fps, and 60 fps. Both progressive and interlaced scanning are available, with interlaced modes typically limited to 1080i at 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz, while progressive formats like 720p extend to 60 fps. This range ensures DNxHD can handle content from film-originated projects to high-frame-rate sports broadcasts without frame rate conversion artifacts during editing. Bitrates scale proportionally with frame rate to maintain consistent quality.[17][19] For audio, DNxHD integrates up to 16 channels of uncompressed 24-bit PCM audio at a 48 kHz sampling rate, embedded directly into the file for synchronized playback and editing. This configuration supports complex multichannel mixes, such as 5.1 surround or stereo pairs, common in professional post-production. The audio essence follows SMPTE ST 382 for PCM streams within the MXF framework.[20] DNxHD content is typically packaged in the Material Exchange Format (MXF) container, using the OP1a operational pattern for robust professional interchange. MXF OP1a allows seamless embedding of video, multiple audio tracks, and metadata, making it ideal for collaborative workflows in nonlinear editing systems. This container ensures interoperability across broadcast facilities and archiving systems compliant with SMPTE ST 377-1.[20] While versatile for HD and SD applications, DNxHD is inherently limited to resolutions at or below full HD, with no native support for higher resolutions like 2K or 4K; such capabilities require extensions beyond the core VC-3 implementation. The intra-frame compression method of DNxHD enables these formats by prioritizing edit-friendly, constant-bit-rate encoding suitable for real-time playback.[21][17]Variants and Bitrates
Avid DNxHD offers several variants designed to balance quality, file size, and performance for different production needs, with naming conventions based on approximate bitrates in Mbps for 1080p/29.97 (or 1080i/59.94) footage. These include LB (Low Bandwidth) at 36 Mbps, a proxy variant at 80 Mbps, SQ (Standard Quality) at 145 Mbps, HQ (High Quality) at 220 Mbps, HQX (High Quality Extended) at 220 Mbps (10-bit), and 444 at approximately 440 Mbps. Each variant employs fixed bitrates, ensuring predictable data rates without variable bitrate options, which facilitates consistent storage planning in editing workflows. Bitrates scale proportionally with frame rate while maintaining compression quality levels; for example, the SQ variant delivers 145 Mbps for 1080p/29.97 footage but approximately 290 Mbps for 1080p/59.94.[22][23] Variants differ in bit depth and chroma subsampling: LB, 80, SQ, and HQ are 8-bit 4:2:2; HQX is 10-bit 4:2:2; 444 is 10-bit 4:4:4. To aid in practical application, these bitrates translate to data rates in megabytes per second (MB/s), such as 18 MB/s for the 145 Mbps SQ variant (calculated as bitrate divided by 8 bits per byte).[22]| Variant | Approximate Bitrate (Mbps for 1080p/29.97) | Bit Depth / Chroma | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| LB (Low Bandwidth, 36) | 36 | 8-bit 4:2:2 | Archiving and low-bandwidth transfer, ideal for proxy workflows where storage and transmission efficiency are prioritized over maximum quality.[1] |
| 80 | 80 | 8-bit 4:2:2 | Lightweight proxy editing, balancing low file sizes with acceptable quality for review and offline workflows.[1] |
| SQ (Standard Quality, 145) | 145 | 8-bit 4:2:2 | Standard editing tasks, offering a balance of quality and manageable file sizes suitable for most post-production pipelines.[1] |
| HQ (High Quality, 220) | 220 | 8-bit 4:2:2 | High-fidelity visual effects compositing and color correction, where enhanced detail retention supports demanding creative processes.[1] |
| HQX (High Quality Extended, 220) | 220 | 10-bit 4:2:2 | Advanced VFX and grading requiring 10-bit precision, providing high dynamic range while remaining intra-frame for edit-friendly performance.[1] |
| 444 | 440 | 10-bit 4:4:4 | Color grading and finishing in RGB workflows, preserving full chroma detail for professional mastering.[1] |
