Spin Digital Pushes VVC to the Forefront of Real-Time Video Encoding

BEAVERTON, OR, UNITED STATES, July 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As demand for ultra-high-definition video continues to surge across broadcast, streaming, and enterprise platforms, Berlin-based Spin Digital is emerging as a key player in making next-generation video formats more accessible and practical. The company has developed software encoding technology built on the VVC (Versatile Video Coding) standard that offers real-time performance, bandwidth savings, and cost efficiency—without requiring specialized hardware.

VVC, also known as H.266, promises up to 50% bitrate reduction over its predecessor, HEVC (H.265), but its complexity has sparked concerns about whether it can be deployed effectively for live applications. Spin Digital is betting that it can—and has data to back it up.

“We’re seeing consistent 20% bitrate savings in real-time, live environments using standard cloud infrastructure,” said Mauricio Alvarez-Mesa, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Spin Digital. “This makes VVC not just a theoretical improvement but a practical tool for companies trying to scale high-quality live video.”

A Software-First Approach to VVC

Founded in 2015, Spin Digital focuses exclusively on developing high-performance software-based video encoding and decoding (ENC/DEC) solutions. Its VVC encoder is built from the ground up, allowing it to avoid the constraints of legacy code and deliver significant gains in processing efficiency.

Unlike many industry players that focus on video-on-demand workflows, Spin Digital is focusing on real-time applications—including live sports, event streaming, and next-generation broadcasting. The company has successfully demonstrated 8K live streaming at major global events, including proof-of-concept trials during the Olympic Games.

“Live encoding is a different beast,” Alvarez-Mesa said. “You need low latency, high visual quality, and the ability to handle multiple streams at once—all while staying within compute budgets. That’s where our software stands out.”

Challenges in Adoption—and a Path Forward

Despite the technical promise of VVC, real-world adoption has been slow due to limited support on consumer playback devices such as smartphones, smart TVs, and set-top boxes. “That’s the bottleneck,” Alvarez-Mesa noted. “It’s not about whether we can encode efficiently. It’s whether end-user devices can decode that content.”

But the landscape may be shifting. Brazil’s next-generation broadcast standard (SBTVD 3.0) mandates VVC as the base codec, and major equipment manufacturers are now building native VVC playback support into their products to meet those requirements. Meanwhile, attitudes toward software-based decoding are evolving.

“A few years ago, it was widely believed you couldn’t deploy new codecs without dedicated hardware,” Alvarez-Mesa said. “Now, with more powerful CPUs and the rise of short-form video, even mobile platforms are becoming viable targets for software based VVC playback.”

A New Model for Video Delivery

Spin Digital’s software-based approach offers flexibility that hardware-bound solutions cannot match. “We’re not waiting for chipset vendors to support the format,” Alvarez-Mesa said. “We’re already delivering live VVC encoding today, on infrastructure our customers already use.”

The company’s encoder has already been licensed by some major customers in Japan, Korea and the US. There are also several others evaluating the technology for both OTT, traditional broadcast and low-latency applications.

“If we can show that VVC works now, in real deployments, it lowers the perceived risk for others,” Alvarez-Mesa added. “That’s what drives adoption—not specs, but confidence.”

Spin Digital expects continued improvements in software efficiency and CPU capabilities will only strengthen its position. New releases of its encoder have already achieved an additional 5% compression gain while maintaining the same computational profile.

“We believe the industry is heading toward more flexible, software-driven workflows,” Alvarez-Mesa said. “VVC is complex, but it doesn’t have to be slow—or unaffordable.”

With its focus on real-time encoding and ecosystem readiness, Spin Digital is helping to turn next-gen video from a future promise into a current possibility.

Industry Engagement and Thought Leadership

Spin Digital is working with industry groups and marketing collectives such as the Media Coding Industry Forum (MC-IF) to expand awareness and use cases for VVC. The company is also participating in editorial campaigns and executive briefings designed to highlight VVC’s role in emerging markets such as enterprise networking and 5G broadcast.

“Video traffic is putting increasing pressure on enterprise networks,” said Lane Cooper, editorial director at BizTechReports and a contributor to the VVC awareness campaign. “Spin Digital is in a strong position to show how VVC can help organizations manage that load without compromising quality.”

Airrion Andrews
Mindshare Capture
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