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Line 18: One of the company's best known products is the Sorenson Video codec licensed to [[Apple Inc.]] for their [[QuickTime]] 3.0 software. Since its release, Sorenson Media’s video encoding technology was used in Apple's [[Trailer (promotion)\|trailer]] web site and [[video clip]]s for film studios such as [[Disney]], [[Lucasfilm]], [[MGM]], and [[Paramount Pictures\|Paramount]], as well as Apple's [[iTunes]] music videos, before the switch to the industry standard [[H.264]] format. The company was led by its chairman and founder James Lee Sorenson; its final president and CEO was Patrick Nola. The company filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] in October 2018, and was acquired at auction by [[Nielsen Holdings]] in February 2019 for $11.25 million for their [[addressable advertising]] group.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/nielsen-addressable-ads-sorenson-acquisition-bankruptcy-1203144237/ \|title= Nielsen Forms Addressable TV Ad Group After Buying Sorenson ~~Media’s~~Media's Assets for $11.25 Million \|website=[[Variety (magazine)\|Variety]]\|date=2019-02-19}}</ref> {{anchor\|Sorenson Communications}} ~~== Products ==~~ == Technical service for the deaf and Sorenson Communications ==▼ * Sorenson Video{{snd}} Apple bundled QuickTime 3 components for decoding and basic encoding * Sorenson Video Pro{{snd}} Apple distributed, full featured, two-pass VBR QuickTime developer encoding component<ref>Terran Interactive, Inc. (1998) [http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/video/codecs/Sorenson.html Codec Central - Sorenson Video]. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref> * Sorenson [[H.262\|MPEG-1/2]] * Sorenson [[MPEG-4 Part 2]] * Sorenson [[H.264]]<ref>[http://www.sorensonmedia.com/video-encoding/ Squeeze] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829224234/http://www.sorensonmedia.com/video-encoding/# \|date=2009-08-29 }}. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref> * [[Sorenson Squeeze]]{{snd}} a [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[Macintosh]] encoding application * Sorenson 360<ref>{{cite news\|url= http://www.crunchbase.com/product/sorenson-360\|title=Sorenson 360 CrunchBase Profile\|access-date=2011-03-08}}</ref>{{snd}} an [[online video platform]] (OVP) * Squeeze Server{{snd}} a server-based live encoding application * Sorenson Server 2 ▲== Technical service for the deaf == In 2003 Sorenson released its VP-100 model stand-alone [[videotelephony]] product for users with [[hearing loss]]. It was designed to output its video to a deaf user's standard television set in order to lower the cost of acquisition. It also provided a [[remote control]], and a [[Sorenson codec\|video compression codec]] designed for improved video quality and ease of use with a [[Video Relay Service]] (VRS). The product received favorable reviews{{by whom\|date=July 2017}} and is used at educational facilities for the deaf{{which\|date=July 2017}}, and elsewhere{{where\|date=July 2017}} in the deaf community.<ref name="New York Times-2003.12.18">Fitzgerald, Thomas J. [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/18/technology/for-the-deaf-communication-without-the-wait.html For the Deaf, Communication Without the Wait], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 18, 2003.</ref> Following the introduction of similar [[videophone]]s by other electronics manufacturers, the [[Broadband Internet access\|availability of high speed Internet]], and [[Video Relay Service#U.S. VRS regulation\|sponsored video relay services]] authorized by the U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] in 2002, VRS for the deaf underwent rapid growth in the United States.<ref name="New York Times-2003.12.18" /> In May 2005 Sorenson Media split off a new company, '''Sorenson Communications''', which focuses on products for the [[deaf]] or [[hard of hearing\|hard-of-hearing]] communities while Sorenson Media would focus on video compression software.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Nii \|first1=Jenifer K. \|title=Sorenson Media to split \|url=https://www.deseret.com/2005/4/27/19889291/sorenson-media-to-split/ \|work=Deseret News \|date=April 27, 2005}}</ref> In April 2022 the private investment firm Ariel Alternatives acquired a 52.5% ownership stake in Sorenson Communications which valued Sorenson at $1.3 billion.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Politis \|first1=David \|title=Utah-Based Sorenson And Its New Owners Go All-In On Serving Diverse Communities \|url=https://newsroom.siliconslopes.com/news/utah-based-sorenson-and-its-new-owners-go-all-in-on-serving-diverse-communities/ \|work=Silicon Slopes Newsroom \|date=June 6, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Sorenson Announces Change in Ownership \|url=https://sorenson.com/press-releases/sorenson-announces-change-in-ownership/ \|publisher=Sorenson Communications \|date=April 4, 2022}}</ref> == Encoding technologies == '''Sorenson codec''' may refer to ~~either~~any of three [[proprietary software\|proprietary]] video codecs: === Sorenson Video === Line 48 ⟶ 40: The official specifications of the codec are not public. For a long time the only way to play back Sorenson Video was to use Apple's QuickTime or [[MPlayer]], which used [[Dynamic-link library\|DLL]] files extracted from QuickTime for Windows. === Sorenson Video 3<!-- [[Sorenson 3 (codec)]] redirects here. If you rename the heading, please fix the redirect -->=== ~~=== Sorenson Video 3 ===~~ This incompatible version of Sorenson Video uses ''SVQ3'' as its [[FourCC]]. This version was released with QuickTime 5.0.2 on July 1, 2001. It was available exclusively for QuickTime.<ref>Sorenson Media (2001-07-02) [https://www.sorensonmedia.com/news/?n=239 Sorenson Media Announces the Availability of Sorenson Video 3 Exclusively for QuickTime]. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref><ref>Apple (2000-10-10) [https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2000/oct/10qt5.html Apple Releases QuickTime 5 and QuickTime Streaming Server 3 Public Previews] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919205725/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2000/oct/10qt5.html \|date=2010-09-19 }}. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref> Apple QuickTime later focused on other compression formats and moved Sorenson Video 3 to a separate group called "legacy encoders".<ref>{{cite mailing list \|url=https://lists.apple.com/archives/QuickTime-API/2008/Feb/msg00223.html \|title=Apple Mailing Lists - batch export: where is sorenson ? \|access-date=2009-08-09 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116042531/http://lists.apple.com/archives/QuickTime-API/2008/Feb/msg00223.html \|archive-date=2009-01-16 }}</ref> According to an anonymous developer of [[FFmpeg]],<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/000312.html \|title=Deconstructing H.264/AVC \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724011629/http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/000312.html \|archive-date=July 24, 2008 \|work=DrunkenBlog}}</ref> [[reverse engineering]] of the SVQ3 codec (Sorenson Video 3) revealed it as a tweaked version of [[H.~~263~~264]].<ref name="almost">{{cite mailing list \| url=http://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/2009-March/073288.html \| mailing-list=FFmpeg-devel \| first=Benjamin \|last=Larsson \| title=h263-svq3 optimizations \| date=2009-03-17 \| access-date=2009-08-09}}</ref> The same developer added support for this codec to FFmpeg. FFmpeg supports decoding of "Sorenson Vector Quantizer 3" ([[fourcc]] SVQ3) and Sorenson Vector Quantizer 1 (fourcc SVQ1) starting with version 0.4.7, released in 2003.<ref name="ffmpeg-changelog">FFmpeg [http://www.ffmpeg.org/changelog.html Changelog]. Retrieved on 2009-08-10.</ref> Sorenson Video 3 comes with [[Sorenson Squeeze]].<ref>Sorenson Media [https://www.sorensonmedia.com/video3/ SV3 Pro Codec]. Retrieved on 2009-08-09. {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020171245/http://www.sorensonmedia.com/video3 \|date=2013-10-20 }}</ref> Line 58 ⟶ 50: Sorenson Spark is an implementation of [[H.263]] for use in [[Flash Video]] and [[SWF\|Adobe Flash files]]. [[FFmpeg]] uses ''FLV1'' [[FourCC]] and Adobe frame identifiers of 0x21, 0x22 and 0x23. As Apple began to use [[MPEG-4]] and move away from other proprietary codecs, Sorenson Media licensed Sorenson Spark (Sorenson H.263) to [[Macromedia]], which was included with [[Adobe Flash Professional\|Macromedia Flash MX]] v6 on March 4, 2002.<ref>{{cite press release \|work=Macromedia<!--Adobe?--> \|date=2002-03-04 \|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/macromedia-and-sorenson-media-bring-video-to-macromedia-flash-content-and-applications-76246007.html \|title=Macromedia and Sorenson Media Bring Video to Macromedia Flash Content and Applications}}</ref><ref>Adobe LiveDocs [http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/mx2004/main_7_2/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=Flash_MX_2004&file=00000340.html About the Sorenson Spark codec]{{Dead link\|date=November 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref> Sorenson Spark is the required video compression format for [[Flash Player]] 6 and 7. Macromedia later tried to find a better video codec. Starting with Flash Player 8 (released in September 2005), the preferred video codec became [[VP6]].<ref name="cs4" /><ref name="incomplete-h263">Kaourantin.net (2005-08-13) [http://www.kaourantin.net/2005/08/quest-for-new-video-codec-in-flash-8.html The quest for a new video codec in Flash 8] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206142709/http://kaourantin.net/2005/08/quest-for-new-video-codec-in-flash-8.html \|date=2009-02-06 }}. Retrieved on 2009-08-10.</ref> Sorenson Spark can be still used in the [[Adobe Flash Professional\|Adobe Flash CS4 Professional]] (2008) for Flash Video files (alongside [[H.264]] and VP6).<ref name="cs4">Adobe [http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Flash/10.0_UsingFlash/WS9222D73A-676D-41cd-9222-A4884858BBA3.html#WSB70FA3A6-7C5C-4aea-9F63-25EC5C73F873 Flash CS4 Professional Documentation - Digital video and Flash]. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.</ref> According to Adobe engineer Tinic Uro, Sorenson Spark is an incomplete implementation of H.263.<ref name="incomplete-h263" /><ref name="multimediawiki-spark">{{cite web \| url=http://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Sorenson_Spark \| title=Sorenson Spark \| publisher=MultimediaWiki \| access-date=2009-11-03}}</ref> It differs mostly in header structure and ranges of the coefficients.<ref name="almost" /> Line 73 ⟶ 65: == External links == * {{cite web \|url=http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000066.shtml \|title=Sorenson Video Codec, Version 3\|date=8 December 2011}}{{snd}} format description by the Library of Congress * {{cite web \|url=https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Sorenson_Video_1 \|title=Sorenson Video 1 \|website=MultimediaWiki}} * {{cite web \|url=https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Sorenson_Video_3 \|title=Sorenson Video 3 \|website=MultimediaWiki}} * {{cite web \|url=https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Sorenson_Spark \|title=Sorenson Spark \|website=MultimediaWiki}} {{Compression software implementations}} Line 86 ⟶ 75: [[Category:Video codecs]] [[Category:Videotelephony]] [[Category:~~Software~~Defunct software companies of the United States]]