Forget 4K – Pixels to be Superseded by Vector Technology in New Video Codec

Researchers at the University of Bath are working on processes to “vectorize” video – defining the video in terms of mathematical vectors and shapes which can be viewed in any resolution without quality loss.

There’s just been some pretty startling research published by a university in the UK which could herald the biggest change to imaging since the switch from film to digital.

Indeed before it has even begun, 4K may become obsolete along with resolution itself – killed not by 8K or Super-Hi Vision but a completely different kind of technology. A vector based video codec has been developed at the University of Bath.

Until now vectors have been good at wireframe objects but not photorealism. The team at Bath have developed a new photo realistic fill method to ‘paint’ in the areas defined by the vectors.

Unlike bitmap pixel images, vector shapes can be scaled up with no loss of quality, since the mathematics behind vectors simply defines the point-to-point coordinates of an object. One example of existing vector based images is the typeface on a computer – when a font scales up it doesn’t become pixelated.

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