Standing tall Harris Corporation [NYSE:HRS] introduced a new airborne-hardened encoder that more efficiently packages and transmits data and full-motion video gathered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) during military missions. Harris is an international communications and information technology company.

The Harris AcuityH264 is a compact, versatile high-definition/standard-definition (HD/SD) encoding solution, which meets Motion Imagery Standards Board requirements for airborne applications. It efficiently compresses full-motion video and attaches mission data, such as telemetry and time of acquisition, that significantly increases the intelligence value of the imagery. State-of-the-art H.264 compression, combined with data standards, ensures interoperability with current and future exploitation systems. The AcuityH264 offers several features currently not available with most other encoders. These include:

• Features for image scaling and cropping of HD video to meet the needs of constrained, low-bandwidth channels
• A slice design that enables additional channels of encoding to be easily added
• Expansion capabilities for on-board storage of 'mezzanine-quality' video, a much higher-fidelity version of the captured video compared to that sent over the channel

Initially designed for use in military missions, the encoder's broadcast-quality, video-encoding capabilities enable potential application to commercial broadcast markets, where video and data must be transmitted from remote locations and mobile broadcast vehicles.

"The AcuityH264 delivers enriched content that adds value to, and greatly simplifies, the task of analysts on the ground as they gather information that is critical to decision-making," said Wes Covell, president, Defense Programs, Harris Government Communications Systems.