Scottish based production company Smuji Films is pioneering a revolutionary video compression system for broadcasting moving images over the internet. The Essential Viewing software plays images into a web browser without the need for plug-ins or players.

The result is files a fraction of the size of conventional formats meaning an increase in video quality and a decrease in download times. The company claims that a three-minute download via a domestic-level 56k modem can deliver five minutes of full-motion movie with sound, making it ideal for downloading trailers. The results of the Essential Viewing system can be seen at www.smuji.com.

The company is also developing a number of feature projects, including a biography of tragic pop legend Billy Mackenzie based on the biography The Glamour Chase.