Flystream
What if bandwidth-constrained drone video could still be of mission-critical quality? FlyStream uses MPEG-5 LCEVC to deliver higher-quality, lower-latency video for UAV and ISR operations without changing existing transport or hardware infrastructure.
The challenge
ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations depend on the quality and reliability of the video link between the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and the ground control station. But airborne and tactical networks are inherently constrained. Bandwidth is limited, variable, and never guaranteed.
Legacy codecs struggle to maintain critical visual detail at the low single-digit Mbps, which are typically available on UAV downlinks. When video quality degrades, operators see less, AI inference becomes less accurate, and the speed of the see-decide-act loop slows.
In mission-critical environments, this is not an acceptable trade-off.
The solution
FlyStream is a low-latency video link for drone and multi-domain aerial operations, built on MPEG-5 LCEVC. LCEVC is a layered video technology that adds a lightweight enhancement layer to existing codecs such as H.264 or HEVC, improving quality and bandwidth efficiency without requiring changes to the underlying transport, hardware, or ground infrastructure.
That layered approach also gives systems flexibility: they can use the lower-resolution base layer when speed and efficiency matter or reconstruct the full stream when maximum visual fidelity is needed.
The result is clearer, more reliable video over constrained links, helping teams make faster, more confident decisions.
Results and benefits
FlyStream, powered by MPEG- LCEVC, delivers 20–40% bitrate reduction versus alone, at equivalent visual quality. These results have been validated NVIDIA Jetson TX2, Orin and Xavier hardware.
Higher visual quality at the same bitrate. MPEG-5 LCEVC enhances existing video codecs to improve efficiency without increasing bandwidth.
| Codec | Low latency mode | High quality mode |
|---|---|---|
| AVC (H.264) + MPEG-5 LCEVC | 26% - 37% | 28% - 41% |
| HEVC + MPEG-5 LCEVC | 11% - 23% | 13% - 26% |
Results shown across a representative set of sample video sequences. Actual gains will vary depending on content, encoding configuration, and delivery requirements.
In operational terms, that means cleaner imagery for detection, recognition and identification tasks, greater resilience on variable links, and lower power consumption across the video pipeline. These performance gains have also been demonstrated in partnership with an European defense leader on a production rotary UAV platform.
Why it matters
Real-time detection and recognition missions rely on the quality of the video feed. When critical visual detail is lost, analysis slows, AI inference becomes less accurate, and situational awareness is reduced.
LCEVC addresses the core constraint, delivering mission-critical video quality within the bandwidth envelope available on tactical links, without forcing a change to existing systems.
For defense and aerospace operators, this translated into a meaningful and immediately deployable operational advantage.
Side by side drone view: H.264 vs LCEVC enhanced
30% Bandwidth reduction
Ecosystem and implementation
FlyStream is delivered as a fully packaged application built on FFmpeg and the MPEG-5 LCEVC encoder.
It has been tested and validated on NVIDIA Jetson TX2, Orin and Xavier, and supports deployment across existing UAV platforms with no disruption to current transport, security, or ground infrastructure.
Built on the international ISO/IEC MPEG-5 Part 2 LCEVC standard, FlyStream offers a practical and scalable path to production deployment.
Our Industrial Portal is a secure self-service gateway that gives fast access to confidential product information and evaluation materials for our industrial video streaming solutions.
Users can sign an NDA to access sample streams and selected approved materials. These samples are provided for initial review and are not a full FlyStream evaluation package. Organizations interested in evaluating FlyStream, our end-to-end streaming solution powered by MPEG-5 LCEVC, can request an evaluation license and software package under a separate evaluation agreement.
FlyStream is designed for demanding use cases such as drone and defense applications where bandwidth is limited. The portal makes it easier for verified users to explore the solution, compare performance, and move toward evaluation.
