Apple Acquires WaveOne Startup Working on AI-Powered Video Compression

[MacRumors]

Apple recently acquired WaveOne, a California-based startup that was developing AI algorithms for video compression, according to TechCrunch.

Apple did not confirm the acquisition, but former WaveOne executive Bob Stankosh said a "sale of the company to Apple" was finalized earlier this year. In addition, the report notes that WaveOne's website was taken offline around January and that several of the company's employees now work at Apple on various machine learning teams.

WaveOne was working on "content-aware" video compression and decompression algorithms to reduce the size of video files, according to the report:

Leveraging AI-powered scene and object detection, the startup's technology could essentially "understand" a video frame — allowing it to, for example, prioritize faces at the expense of other elements within a scene to save bandwidth.

It's unclear how much Apple paid for WaveOne or when the startup's technologies might be integrated into Apple's software platforms.

Article Link: Apple Acquires WaveOne Startup Working on AI-Powered Video Compression

 

[markfc]

Middle out compression here we come! 😂

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Middle out compression here we come! 😂

I hope it has a high D2F ratio

 

[uptownnyc]

Middle out compression here we come! 😂

What's the MJT?

 

[senttoschool]

For Apple TV+.

 

[Adoniram]

Interesting… AI-based upscaling programs have come a long way (see: Topaz VEAI) and I use them with varied success.

If you could use a known compression algorithm, and train an upscaling (or decompression) algorithm based SOLELY on that known compression, I could see truly remarkable results. Platforms like YouTube would really benefit, especially if the decompression algorithm became a standardized part of various OSes or apps.

 

[DavidLeblond]

Middle out compression here we come! 😂

Both times that show tackled AI, it ended poorly. Gilfoyle would not be pleased.

 

[kenny911]

Someone finally acquired Pied Piper

 

[Vol Braakzakje]

They should invest in AI to improve Siri instead of more compression...

 

[floral]

Apple recently acquired WaveOne, a California-based startup that was developing AI algorithms for video compression, according to TechCrunch.

Hopefully this means I can compress videos I have on my iPad whenever I want.. and not just when I upload it to a website (which only happens sometimes)

 

[MuppetGate]

They should invest in AI to improve Siri instead of more compression...

When Apple talks about AI, they mean the back end stuff for the iPhone camera, and stuff like this.

They don’t mean Siri.

 

[NMBob]

So would this be AI-powered video alteration? That won't end badly.

 

[bankshot]

If this is prioritizing faces over other scene elements, it sounds like the primary application will be for FaceTime over very low bandwidth connections. Doesn't sound like anything that would be used for general compression of video files or for streaming like TV+.

 

[Havoc035]

I wonder if this acquisition isn't more an acquihire rather than Apple being interested in the technology the company held. Especially given that it's former employees are in different teams now.

 

[Dokk]

I came here for the "middle out" jokes and was not disappointed.

 

[maxoakland]

This seems very interesting!

 

[Kazgarth]

You guys are thinking short term with current technology.

Long term, there will be sufficient cellular bandwidth that everything will be running on the cloud, your mobile phone or AR glasses will simply function as access point to a super computer on the cloud (this includes the whole OS, apps & video games).

And the major two methods to improve the end point experience are 1- Improve the network speed (which is out of Apple's hand) 2-Compression/AI powered methods to produce greater fidelity using less network bandwidth (where Apple is investing).

 

[WestonHarvey1]

You guys are thinking short term with current technology.

Long term, there will be sufficient cellular bandwidth that everything will be running on the cloud, your mobile phone or AR glasses will simply function as access point to a super computer on the cloud (this includes the whole OS, apps & video games).

And the major two methods to improve the end point experience are 1- Improve the network speed (which is out of Apple's hand) 2-Compression/AI powered methods to produce greater fidelity using less network bandwidth (where Apple is investing).

It will always be better to have your own device for latency and availability reasons. The speed of light isn't changing and T-Mobile will always suck.

 

[LukasValine]

They should invest in AI to improve Siri instead of more compression...

Natural language processing and compression are heavily related fields. Advances in compression contribute to NPL and vice versa.

 

[tongxinshe]

Google acquired DeepMind, Microsoft acquired OpenAI, while Apple, with deeper pocket than them, is never able to find any AI companies of a similar level to acquire. Why? Obviously the Apple executives in charge are clueless about AI. That’s also why Apple acquired Siri, a leading AI research company at the time, but is never able to bring it forward to keep up with the industry.

 

[MacProFCP]

I am surprised that with all the AI stuff out there there is still a need for green screen chroma key. Why can’t AI make rotoscoping a thing of the past?

Even if it’s not there yet, why is chroma keying still such a pain. It has to be lit perfectly and then painstakingly keyed. It should be as simple as click on effect.

 

[scottypeps]

I know how long it would take me to jerk off everyone in this room, and I can prove it.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Interesting… AI-based upscaling programs have come a long way (see: Topaz VEAI) and I use them with varied success.

If you could use a known compression algorithm, and train an upscaling (or decompression) algorithm based SOLELY on that known compression, I could see truly remarkable results. Platforms like YouTube would really benefit, especially if the decompression algorithm became a standardized part of various OSes or apps.

I’m out of my knowledge here. I’m very curious to skeptical what the real use is here if nos of the markets Apple participates and targets here would need compression.

I see the need for compression for low bandwidth networks when most of the target markets have high speed internet if not fibre or LTE/5G (non mmWave) so … what is the real use and advantage of Apple having this?!

Simply less cost for streaming hosted WWDC events?

 

[_Spinn_]

Interesting… AI-based upscaling programs have come a long way (see: Topaz VEAI) and I use them with varied success.

If you could use a known compression algorithm, and train an upscaling (or decompression) algorithm based SOLELY on that known compression, I could see truly remarkable results. Platforms like YouTube would really benefit, especially if the decompression algorithm became a standardized part of various OSes or apps.

No this would be very interesting!

 

[svish]

Some future Apple software will be using the compression technology.