22586 - SCTE Broadband - Sep2026 Complete v1

TECHNICAL

NVIDIA NVENC NVIDIA’s NVENC is a staple for high-density transcoding. The data indicates that VisualOn’s Optimizer unlocks the full potential of NVIDIA hardware, delivering massive gains across all tested codecs.

H.264/AVC (NETINT)

Similar to HEVC, the optimisation strategy clearly prioritises lifting the “floor” of the video quality to ensure no user suffers poor experience.

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

H.265/HEVC (NVENC)

1080p

87.21 45.09

86.83 63.67

Neutral +18.58

360p

The results here are striking. The Optimizer bridges the gap between hardware speed and software quality, boosting 108Op scores by nearly 8 points.

AVl (NETINT)

Note: While J0B0p experienced a regression, the mid-range resolutions saw consistent improvement.

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

1080p

87.32 79.96 50.88

95.15 91.10 66.23

+7.83

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

720p 360p

+11.14 +15.35

1080p

87.79 78.97 48.33

79.11 82.06 56.64

-8.68 * +3.09 +8.31

720p 360p

H.264/AVC (NVENC)

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

Intel OneVPL / OuickSync Intel’s OuickSync is ubiquitous in media processing. Standard OuickSync encoding often sees a sharp “cliff” in quality as resolution drops. The VisualOn Optimizer successfully mitigates this drop-off.

1080p

87.02 80.23 50.95

94.70 91.04 66.12

+7.68

720p 360p

+10.81 +15.17

AVl (NVENC)

H.265/HEVC (Intel)

Even with the modern AVl codec, the Optimizer provides essential gains, particularly stabilising the lower resolutions.

The win is clear here, with 720p reaching near-transparent quality (-96 VMAF), 576p transitioning from poor to high quality (-92 VMAF), and low-resolution improving from unacceptably degraded to serviceable.

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

1080p

88.22 52.02

94.63 66.76

6.41

360p

+14.73

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

1080p

94.08 78.61 62.47 51.25 45.76

95.18 95.98 91.93 67.89 62.63

+1.10

NETINT NETINT offers high-performance ASIC-based transcoding. The testing revealed a specific behaviour pattern: while top- tier(1080p) scores remained stable, the Optimizer revolutionised the quality of the lower bitrate ladders, which are critical for mobile users on unstable networks.

720p 540p 432p 360p

+17.37 +29.46 +16.64 +16.88

H.264/AVC (Intel)

H.265/HEVC (NETINT)

The same performance trend is observed:

Note the massive recovery of quality in the 360p-432p range, turning unwatchable blockiness into acceptable SD video.

n Minor gains at high resolution

Resolution

VMAF (Standard)

VMAF (w/Optimizer)

Improvement

n Large gains at mid and low resolutions

1080p

87.63 78.79 53.58 45.32

86.89 88.91 73.04 63.79

Neutral +10.12 +19.46 +18.47

n Significant recovery of perceptual quality across constrained bitrate tiers

720p 432p 360p

The integration of VisualOn’s Optimizer into the Cires21 ecosystem delivers measurable, high-impact improvements across almost all tested scenarios.

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SEPTEMBER 2026 Volume 48 No.3

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