Cardinal Peak
Blog Post
Video

Using Windows Movie Maker With the Kodak Zi8

Learn how to edit HD videos from your Kodak Zi8 using Windows Movie Maker with our step-by-step guide and codec tips. Enhance your editing skills today!
Mike Perkins
Blog Post
Outsourced Engineering

Why We Engage on a Time-and-Materials Basis

When a prospective customer calls us, they generally have one of two engagement models in mind: time and materials (T&M), or fixed price. This post explains why Cardinal Peak strongly prefers T&M engagements to FP ones — and why savvy customers should, too.
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Software Development

ElcomSoft’s Hack of Image Authentication

Discover the flaw in Nikon’s image authentication system and the implications for security. Learn why true file integrity relies on more than checksum protection.
Learn how to edit HD videos from your Kodak Zi8 using Windows Movie Maker with our step-by-step guide and codec tips. Enhance your editing skills today!
When a prospective customer calls us, they generally have one of two engagement models in mind: time and materials (T&M), or fixed price. This post explains why Cardinal Peak strongly prefers T&M engagements to FP ones — and why savvy customers should, too.
Discover the flaw in Nikon’s image authentication system and the implications for security. Learn why true file integrity relies on more than checksum protection.
Cardinal Peak
Blog Post
Video

The H.264 Sequence Parameter Set

The H.264 bitstream includes the Sequence Parameter Set (SPS) and the Picture Parameter Set (PPS). Both entities contain information that an H.264 decoder needs to decode the video data, for example, the resolution and frame rate.
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Video

A Propeller-Head Visits Vegas, Part 2

My partner Mike Perkins and I traveled this week to Las Vegas to take in NAB, one of the big trade shows for the broadcast video market. We try to travel together once or twice a year because, in addition to whatever immediate objective we have in taking the trip, we’ve found that traveling together... View Article
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Video

A Propeller-Head Visits Vegas, Part 1

I spent the day yesterday in Las Vegas for ISC West, one of the largest shows for the CCTV and security industry. We have a couple of customers exhibiting at this show, and I haven’t attended the last couple of years, so it was interesting to see. CCTV / Security is a tough industry to... View Article
The H.264 bitstream includes the Sequence Parameter Set (SPS) and the Picture Parameter Set (PPS). Both entities contain information that an H.264 decoder needs to decode the video data, for example, the resolution and frame rate.
My partner Mike Perkins and I traveled this week to Las Vegas to take in NAB, one of the big trade shows for the broadcast video market. We try to travel together once or twice a year because, in addition to whatever immediate objective we have in taking the trip, we’ve found that traveling together... View Article
I spent the day yesterday in Las Vegas for ISC West, one of the largest shows for the CCTV and security industry. We have a couple of customers exhibiting at this show, and I haven’t attended the last couple of years, so it was interesting to see. CCTV / Security is a tough industry to... View Article
Cardinal Peak
Blog Post
Outsourced Engineering

Five Tips for Writing Good Bug Reports

We normally take the humble bug report for granted, but getting your company to write good bug reports is one of the cheapest and easiest ways you can increase product quality and shorten development schedules. That’s because, when a bug report is poorly worded or doesn’t include all the key information, it takes a lot... View Article
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Video

Yet More Patent Insanity

Evidently the Justice Department is investigating MPEG LA on the grounds that they may be stifling innovation in the area of standards for web video. From today’s Wall St. Journal: The Justice Department is investigating whether a group representing some top technology firms is unfairly trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online... View Article
Mike Perkins
Blog Post
Video

Interlaced Video and Computer Monitors

If you’ve ever had occasion to watch video on a computer, you might have noticed that it doesn’t look like it does on your TV. This is especially true when watching interlaced video. This post briefly describes some issues associated with using a computer as a video display device. Let’s start with interlaced video. What... View Article
We normally take the humble bug report for granted, but getting your company to write good bug reports is one of the cheapest and easiest ways you can increase product quality and shorten development schedules. That’s because, when a bug report is poorly worded or doesn’t include all the key information, it takes a lot... View Article
Evidently the Justice Department is investigating MPEG LA on the grounds that they may be stifling innovation in the area of standards for web video. From today’s Wall St. Journal: The Justice Department is investigating whether a group representing some top technology firms is unfairly trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online... View Article
If you’ve ever had occasion to watch video on a computer, you might have noticed that it doesn’t look like it does on your TV. This is especially true when watching interlaced video. This post briefly describes some issues associated with using a computer as a video display device. Let’s start with interlaced video. What... View Article
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Outsourced Engineering

Older Engineers: Don’t Listen to Penelope Trunk

There’s a lot of advice on the internet directed to engineers and other tech workers who reach a certain age. According to Penelope Trunk, you’re supposed to hide your age on your resume by deleting work experience older than about 15 years ago and omitting the date on your college degree. (I’m going to blow... View Article
Howdy Pierce
Blog Post
Networking

The Two Ways to Get Video Across the Internet

In all the internet video out there, there are basically two methods of delivery: Progressive download and adaptive bit rate streaming.
Mike Perkins
Blog Post
Image Processing

Transforms for Video Compression, Part 3: The DCT and Why Transforming Is Valuable

The use of transforms in data compression algorithms is at least 40 years old. The goal of this three-part series of posts is to provide the mathematical background necessary for understanding transforms and to explain why they are a valuable part of many compression algorithms. I’m focusing on video since that’s my particular interest. Part... View Article
There’s a lot of advice on the internet directed to engineers and other tech workers who reach a certain age. According to Penelope Trunk, you’re supposed to hide your age on your resume by deleting work experience older than about 15 years ago and omitting the date on your college degree. (I’m going to blow... View Article
In all the internet video out there, there are basically two methods of delivery: Progressive download and adaptive bit rate streaming.
The use of transforms in data compression algorithms is at least 40 years old. The goal of this three-part series of posts is to provide the mathematical background necessary for understanding transforms and to explain why they are a valuable part of many compression algorithms. I’m focusing on video since that’s my particular interest. Part... View Article