Microsoft Granted Patent for GPU Video Encoding
Microsoft has been granted a patent for a technique to accelerate video encoding called “Motion Compensation”. In this technique, the CPU encodes the video while the GPU performs motion compensation calculations improving the overall process and speed of encoding. Of course this sounds a lot like NVIDIA’s CUDA Technology or even what Elemental Technologies is doing with Badaboom. Microsoft originally filed for this patent in 2004.
By our reading, this sounds like exactly what Nvidia supports by way of its CUDA technology and Elemental Technologies’ Badaboom video conversion program from 2008. That same year, Adobe announced support for GPU acceleration in Creative Suite 4, a feature it’s carried through to its more recent Creative Suite 5. It’s worth noting the Microsoft filed the application for the patent in 2004, before any of the above products existed.
We’ve asked Apple, AMD, Microsoft, and Nvidia for their responses to this news. Neither Apple nor Microsoft have responded, but Nvidia and AMD both inform us they’re looking into the matter. We’ll update once we hear back.
Comments are closed.