In the Fall of 1991 TMMI released "TMM SoftVideo version 1.1" the world's first software only video on the market using RLE (Run Length Encoding). TMMI's products included a complete suite of video editing and authoring tools for the digital video and multimedia computing markets, commonly referred to as the "interactive Multimedia Market".

Fractal Image compression emerged with a major breakthrough by Iterated Systems Inc. The automatic fractal transform process eliminated the need for human intervention during compression as was the case in early experimentation with fractal compression technology. Barnsley's graduate student Arnaud Jacquin implements the first automated fractal algorithm.

In 1992 Total Multimedia Inc. approached Iterated Systems Inc. to bring fractal compression to video. TMMI provided "SoftVideo" performance specifications, including the use of .SVF (SoftVideo Fractal) file extension, and development funding. The companies entered into a License Agreement whereby Total Multimedia Inc. holds the exclusive worldwide master license for fractal video compression and decompression algorithms VDK 1.0-1.4. Development resulted in SoftVideo that utilized the Partitioned Iterated Function Systems and Affine Transformations, however, limited to 15 bit color.

TMMI's SoftVideo™ was licensed by Paramount and Spectrum Holobyte producing CD/ROM games such as "Falcon Gold F-16" and "Startrek Next Generation" as well as the "Art of the Kill'.

Due to computational limitations of that time and increasing screen resolutions it was necessary to reduce the number of both encoding and decoding operations of "full fractal" VDK 1.0-1.9 versions.

In 1994 TMMI financed Iterated Systems Inc.'s patented VDK 2.0 development and licensed VDK 2.1 (Intel i386), VDK 2.2 (IBM PVS multi i860 RISC processor supercomputers), VDK 2.3 (Mac Power PC) and VDK 2.4 (Hybrid MPEG Intel i386) versions for the specified hardware platforms that were based on a new simpler streamlined VDK 2.0 algorithm that supported 24 bit RGB/YUV 4:4:4 color space.

In 1996 TMMI subcontracted Advanced Multimedia Concepts Inc., ("AMCI") of Camarillo, California for custom development of its SoftVideo i386 VDK 2.1 based compressor and decompressor and in 1997 an enhanced version was produced.

In 1999 TMMI subcontracted Digital Focus, Inc., ("DFI") to add ASF (Advanced Streaming Format, a universal format developed by Microsoft) to VDK 2.1 based SoftVideo™ giving it the ability to play .SVF video streamed over the Internet.

Now decades later TMMI created its own upgraded derivative of SoftVideo, rebranded as TRUDEF™ VDK3 supporting modern multi core, multi threaded AMD64 bit hardware. TMMI added new audio capability, .mkv container support, built Frame Tools and other utilities for managing and editing VDK3 .fvf files. The TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video Player is optimized for low overhead, high bitrate playback for maximum quality.

TMMI's original 1991 SoftVideo codec compressed 320x200 resolution, by comparison, 2021 TRUDEF VDK3 compresses up to 8192x4320 resolution.

Video Codec History and Comparison


TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video CODEC Performance

A fractal is an object or quantity that displays self-similarity. Fractal image compression is founded on the fact that in a sequence of images blocks containing self similar patterns are repeated. Optimized for performance, TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video codec is a simplified non PIFS (Partitioned Iterated Function Systems) algorithm that searches for self similar blocks within an image encoding them into data called "fractal codes". When images are viewed; fractal codes are remapped back into the correct location using self similar blocks where matches exist.

Fractal video compression is asymmetrical in nature, encoding is resource intensive, however, playback is lightweight and fast. TRUDEF™ Fractal Video is an effective method of playing visually lossles quality, high resolution 2x2 block encoded Intra Frame video compressed in the 3 to 4:1 file size reduction range. TRUDEF™ uses Intra Frame only (no data is shared between frames) which eliminates temporal artifacts when playing video containing complex image data.

TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video codec compresses video in the 24 bit RGB/YUV 4:4:4 color space offering a rich viewing experience compared to most common distribution codecs that down sample color to YUV 4:2:0 resulting in excessive color loss. The performance characteristics of the TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video are best utilized for visually lossles quality, native (non scaled) high resolution video for custom use cases.

TRUDEF™ has been tested with the "Magic Hour" sequence of StEM (Standard Evaluation Material) commissioned by DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) for purposes of video codec quality analysis. This digitally scanned 35mm film saved as 4096x1714 16-bit TIFF files contains a number of elements such as complex motion, film graining and color variations that are a better test of a video codec's capabilities.

In 2013 TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video was designed for high quality 4K playback at 2,000 mbps, 8x the data rate as specified by the DCI for Digital Cinema (2012 250mbps JPEG 2000 2K or 4K) on commodity hardware. TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video was initially intended for Digital Cinema (with future 12-bit color support) and not for low bitrate Internet streaming.

The latest 2021 version compiled for Windows 10-64 is capable of 8K playback up to 120 fps with 5 to 30 gbps source file stream. In certain use cases TRUDEF™ VDK3 Fractal Video outperforms HEVC and AV1 during visually lossless playback, especially with complex image data and precision Intra Frame stepping without dropping frames. Single Intra Frame example

Raw Uncompressed Frame

Click for Horizontal Mirror Image View


TRUDEF™ 24 bit RGB/YUV 4:4:4

Click for Horizontal Mirror Image View