Norpix Windows CODEC
NorPix Windows codec are based on Microsoft DirectX Media Object, allowing for excellent integration to all Windows application that works with AVI.
NorPix currently provides 6 different codecs:
| CODEC name | Description |
|---|---|
| NorPix Motion JPEG codec | CPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression to AVI file with Motion JPEG compression. |
| NorPix H.264 codec | CPU/GPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression to AVI file with H.264/AVC compression. H.264/AVC codec can take advantage of Intel Quick Sync compatible processors for image resolution up to 4096x2304 pixels. |
| NorPix CUDA H.264/AVC codec | GPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression using NVIDIA GPU to perform H.264/AVC compression. Requires an NVIDIA GPU with Maxwell or newer chipset. |
| NorPix CUDA Motion JPEG codec | GPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression using NVIDIA GPU to perform real time JPEG compression. Up to 2.5 billion pixels monochrome or 1.5 million pixels color can be compressed real time. |
| NorPix CUDA H.265/HEVC codec | GPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression using NVIDIA GPU to perform H.265/HEVC compression. Requires an NVIDIA GPU with Maxwell 2 or newer chipset. |
| NorPix AMD H.264/AVC codec | GPU based. DirectShow compatible codec allowing real time compression using AMD GPU to perform H.264/AVC compression. Requires an AMD GPU with AMD Video Coding Engine (VCE). |
All codecs include settings to allow pattern selection for Bayer interpolation, various color balancing, automatic CPU core load balancing.
MJPEG quality factor (1 to 100% quality).
GOP size and bit rate settings for H.264/H.265 encoding.
Codecs support most image formats and sizes, the most natively as possible, reducing transcoding or image format conversion.
Native supported image formats:
| BYR1: | 8bit RAW format. |
| BYR2: | 12bit RAW format. |
| Y8: | 8bit Gray format. |
| Y16: | 12bit Gray format. |
| UIVY: | UVY422 format. |
| Y422: | YUV422 format. |
| UVY411: | YUV411 format. |
| YUV444: | YUV444 format. |
| RGB555: | RGB555 format. |
| RGB565: | RGB565 format. |
| RGB: | RGB24 format. |
| RGB32: | RGB with Alpha channel format. |
Codecs support concurrent instances, so that when using multiple cameras, all streams can be compressed in parallel.
Codecs provide FourCC selection, with default MJPEG and H.264 FourCC code (MJPG, H264). However, proprietary FourCC codes are also available to force decoders to use our codec for rendering (NPXJ, NPXH).
Codecs are only supported under Windows 10 and 11 (64 bit).
Performance wise, codecs run identically with or without a license code. Non-licensed versions will watermark encoded images.
Performance for NorPix H.264 codec:
| 1920 x 1080 YUV422 to H264 | 1920 x 1080 Raw Bayer to H264 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i3-2100T | Preprocessing (CPU) | 10 ms | 15 ms | ||
| Compression | Sandy Bridge CPU | Sandy Bridge GPU | Sandy Bridge CPU | Sandy Bridge GPU | |
| 39 ms | 13 ms | 39 ms | 13 ms | ||
| Total processing time | 49 ms | 23 ms | 54 ms | 28 ms | |
| Core i7-3770 | |||||
| Software Preprocessing | 5.52 ms | 6.82 ms | |||
| Compression | Ivy Bridge CPU | Ivy Bridge GPU | Ivy Bridge CPU | Ivy Bridge GPU | |
| 21.72 ms | 11.55 ms | 21.72 ms | 11.55 ms | ||
| Total processing time | 27.24 ms | 17.07 ms | 28.4 ms | 18.37 ms | |
Preprocessing includes image conversion to an intermediate image format compatible with H.264 compression.
Bayer interpolation and white balancing are performed during preprocessing
Performance for NorPix MJPEG codec:
| Image size and type | Frame rate | CPU load |
|---|---|---|
| 640x480 raw Bayer | 270 | 80% |
| 640x480 monochrome | 330 | 80% |
| 1920x1080 raw Bayer | 33 | 90% |
| 1920x1080 monochrome | 50 | 80% |
CPU load while real time encoding at the specified frame rate including concurrent StreamPix load with image capture, display and streaming to disk. Bayer interpolation included for raw format. Intel core i5-3340M processor.
Using the codecs:
Codec Settings can be accessed via properties dialog of each application using the codec. In case the calling application does not provide any option to access the codec setting, you can run the following utility to access each codec setting:
"All Programs | Norpix | NpxCodec | Codec Settings":
Codecs include 4 setting pages:
H.264 Encoding Page:
- Encoding Profile:
- High Profile: Use YUV420 color coding.
- BaseLine: Recommended for monochrome image.
- Main Profile: Use YUV420 color coding.
- GOP size: The number of frames to be part of the same group of frames. The larger the GOP size is, the less key frames are inserted with the cost of longer seek time.
- Bit Rate: Stream bit rate per second of content.
- Number of Core for Encoding: Instruct the codec about the number of CPU core to use. It is not recommended to use all cores for real time encoding, since CPU resources may not be available to service other StreamPix capture and streaming threads.
MJPEG codec settings
- Quality: The jpeg compression quality. 100% quality will give best image quality with low compression factor.
Bayer Conversion
Parameters for embedded raw to Bayer interpolation: Before encoding an image, raw Bayer image can be color interpolated. Note that if Bayer is enabled, monochrome image will be interpolated too.
- Enable/Disable conversion. Only useful if processing a raw Bayer image.
- Bayer Pattern: Select the Bayer pattern matching your sensor.
White Balancing
Following a Bayer interpolation, or if image format is RGB, codec can perform some automatic white balance correction. Furthermore, one can define a region on the image to be used as a reference for white balance calculation.
- Enable: Enable/Disable auto white balance.
- Algorithm:
- Mean Equalization
- Gray Word
- Standard Deviation
- Mean and Standard Deviation
- ROI: define WB area
Linear Shift
Linear window leveling can be performed for pixel depth greater that 8 bits before encoding. By default, encoder will always keep the 8 most significant bits of captured images. Window leveling can be used to force the usage of other bit range:
As an example, a 10 bit image can be leveled in 3 ways:
- 8 most significant bits (bit 2 to 10, default)
- 8 middle significant bits (bit 1 to 9)
- 8 least significant bits (bit 0 to 7)
Pseudo Color
This can be used for remapping monochrome image to pseudo color. Currently, 2 predefined look up table functions are available. Please contact Norpix if you feel more LUT should be added.
Available predefined LUTs are:
- Rainbow
- Inverted rainbow
Pseudo color cannot be used with true color RGB or YUV images.
NorPix Lookup table
A text file, comma separated that can be generated (save Excel file as a .csv format) and can be used to force pixel intensity remapping to pseudo color.
Example:
#Index, Blue, Green, Red Remapping value
0, 255, 0, 0 : gray level 0 will be Remapping as pure blue,
1, 10, 10, ,: gray level 1 will be Remapping as Blue = 10, Green = 10, Red default
[200,255], 255, 255, 255: gray levels 200 to 255 are Remapping to pure white
Temperature
Correct image temperature.
The range is between 5000K-20000K.
Only useful for color images.
ASC CDL
The American Society of Cinematographers Color Decision List (ASC CDL) has defined a format for the exchange of basic primary color grading information. A 3 parameters formula can be used to define most possible remapping and color correction.
The formula for ASC CDL color correction is:
out = (i*s +o)p
where:
- out is the color graded pixel code value.
- i is the input pixel code value (0=black, 1=white).
- s is slope (any number 0 or greater, nominal value is 1.0).
- o is offset (any number, nominal value is 0).
- p is power (any number greater than 0, nominal value is 1.0).
FourCC settings
Each codec is uniquely identified by a FourCC code. Mediaplayer application can identify what codec has been used to encode the video and search for a corresponding decoder.
By default, the codec will use standard FourCC name, to allow any MJPEG or H.264 compatible decoder to render the images. That means there is no need to install NorPix codec on playback computers when default FourCC names are used.
If you encounter playback issues, or prefer the end user to use the NorPix codec for decoding, set the FourCC to be either NPXJ for MJPEG or NPXH for H.264.
Licencing the codec
Contact Norpix to purchase an official license. Images are watermarked when the codecs are used with no valid license.