Runway Gen-4.5 is rolling out, and the text-to-video model grabbed the No. 1 spot on the Video Arena leaderboard for generative models that don’t simultaneously output sound, beating the non-audio versions of Google’s Veo 3 and OpenAI’s Sora 2 Pro. Offering what Runway AI calls “unprecedented visual fidelity” across cinematic and “highly realistic” outputs, it is also built for creative freedom, providing “precise control over every aspect of generation.” The new model is good at understanding physics, cause and effect through casual reasoning, camera movements and human emotion, claims the New York-based startup. Continue reading Runway Gen-4.5 Video Debuts at No. 1 on Video Arena Chart

Netflix is taking steps aimed at upgrading the viewer experience, rolling out AV1 Film Grain Synthesis (FGS) streams to the majority of its subscribers. While FGS has been part of the AV1 standard since the Alliance for Open Media introduced the format in 2018, Netflix began to apply it to a limited number of titles in 2021 and is is now enabling it at scale. The streamer says the open-source FGS compression system “revolutionizes video streaming” and will “preserve the artistic integrity of film grain” — a feature generally considered essential to achieving a cinematic look — while also optimizing data efficiency. Continue reading Netflix Is Implementing AV1 Film Grain Synthesis Tech at Scale