Shaky, blurry YouTube videos could be a thing of the past thanks to Google's latest company acquisition.
The search giant has picked up Green Parrot Pictures, an Irish digital video technology company, whose image processing tech has been used in Lord of the Rings, X-Men and
Spider-Man
in recent years – but don't let that put you off.
Google will use Green Parrot's technology to tidy up low-quality video content uploaded to YouTube by sharpening images, reducing visual noise and producing a steadier video.
Noble inspirations
The acquisition wasn't inspired by excitable handheld footage of Justin Bieber concerts or 'hilarious' pranks on housemates, though.
YouTube explains its motivation in a blog post: "Some of YouTube's most popular or moving videos are shot using low-quality mobile phones and video cameras. Take, for example, videos of recent protests in Libya. Although emotionally captivating, they can be jerky, blurry or unsteady."
As if improving video quality wasn't impressive enough, Green Parrot's technology also improves playback speed and ensures that videos use less bandwidth.
Green Parrot Pictures itself is, understandably, excited. A statement on its website reads, "As the number of video creators worldwide and the richness of their video increases, demand for our technology has grown across multiple platforms.
"We're excited to join Google, where we will apply our expertise to improve the online video experience for hundreds of millions of users worldwide on many different products, platforms and services."
