VBrick Systems, Inc., an industry leader in affordable video over IP network solutions, today announced that it has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a device that supports robust, next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) video. The grant includes funds for research with the intent of commercializing a powerful, cost-effective network video product for the emerging H.264 digital video standard.

The H.264 standard, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, provides high-fidelity video using low bandwidth, which is ideal for diverse video applications including DVD-quality video streaming for distance learning, video-on-demand for corporate training, and High Definition Television (HDTV) for broadcast.

"Although the H.264 standard is providing enhanced IP video, the high price-point is preventing widespread market adoption," said Bruce Webber, vice president of software engineering, VBrick Systems, Inc. "We are committed to empowering users to capitalize on digital video while also addressing real-world drivers such as price, performance, and flexibility."

The NSF's Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program awarded VBrick the grant in two phases. Phase one encompassed a proof of concept for mitigating H.264-compliant encoder performance bottlenecks. The grant's second phase supports VBrick research to develop a H.264-compliant prototype that provides high performance economically. Phase one of the NSF grant is complete; phase two concludes in Q1 2007.

NSF's highly-competitive grant award to VBrick reflects the company's longstanding history of innovation and commitment to advancing industry best practices and standards. Since 1997, VBrick has been setting the benchmark for live and stored IP video quality, performance, and innovation. VBrick's networked video appliances can accommodate virtually any type of network - making video as ubiquitous as the Internet and ensuring ease-of-use and functionality. Additionally, VBrick executives are active participants in the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) and the MPEG Industry Forum, and play key roles in architecting new standards that expand digital video capabilities.