MainConcept
MainConcept is a German software company. Since 1993, they have provided video and audio codecs for video production, multimedia, broadcast, digital signage, gaming, medical and security industries. Their codecs are used by organizations such as Adobe, AVID, Autodesk, Corel, Dalet, Grass Valley, MAGIX, MOG, Nikon, Sony and Wowza. These are offered along with software development kits, applications and plugins.
History
MainConcept was founded in 1993 in Aachen, Germany, with an early focus on software codec development and supporting evolving video and audio compression standards.MainConcept began shipping commercial codec products soon thereafter, including its first MPEG-1/2 codec. In 2004 it launched its own AVC/H.264 codec which is still in use today, followed in 2013 by HEVC/H.265 and in 2021 with VVC/H.266. In all, the company maintains a sizeable codec library covering implementations across numerous standards.
Starting in 2007, MainConcept has been owned by a succession of companies, starting with DivX, Inc. In 2010, DivX was acquired by Sonic Solutions and in 2011, Rovi Corporation acquired Sonic Solutions, bringing MainConcept under Rovi’s corporate umbrella. In 2014, Rovi divested the DivX and MainConcept businesses, and in 2015 NeuLion acquired DivX. In 2018, Endeavor Group Holdings acquired NeuLion and MainConcept, rebranding NeuLion as Endeavor Streaming, with MainConcept as a subsidiary. In October 2025, MainConcept announced that it had completed a management buyout, taking the company private.
Under the various levels of ownership, MainConcept continued to develop its codec and software development kit offerings, mostly operating separately from their parent.
In recent years, MainConcept has shifted its focus toward streaming, live and cloud encoding, and video quality measurement tools. The company maintains offices in Germany, the United States, and Japan, with a worldwide staff. As of the latest update, MainConcept continues to license codec technologies and deliver software development kits across broadcast, media, and OTT markets. Its codec implementations have been assessed in independent rankings, frequently coming out on top in competitive comparisons.