MPEG-4 AVC
Overview
The MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding), also known as H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard that is widely used in the digital video industry. It was developed by the Joint Video Team (JVT), a collaboration between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). The standard was first released in 2003 and has since been updated several times to include new features and improvements.
Development and History
The development of MPEG-4 AVC began in 2001, when the JVT was formed to create a new video compression standard that would offer better performance than previous standards such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Part 2. The goal was to create a standard that could provide good video quality at lower bit rates, which would be beneficial for applications such as streaming video over the internet and video conferencing.
The first version of the standard was released in 2003, and it quickly gained popularity due to its superior performance. Since then, the standard has been updated several times, with new features and improvements being added. Some of the major updates include the addition of support for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) in 2013, and the addition of support for Versatile Video Coding (VVC) in 2020.
Technical Details
MPEG-4 AVC uses a variety of techniques to achieve high compression efficiency. These include block-based motion compensation, transform coding, and entropy coding. The standard also includes features such as scalable video coding, which allows the quality of the video to be adjusted based on the available bandwidth, and multiview video coding, which allows for the encoding of video from multiple perspectives.
The standard supports a wide range of video resolutions, from low-resolution video for mobile devices to high-definition video for broadcast and cinema. It also supports a wide range of bit rates, from low bit rates for streaming video over the internet to high bit rates for high-quality video recording and playback.
Applications
MPEG-4 AVC is used in a wide range of applications, from video streaming and video conferencing to digital television and Blu-ray Discs. It is also used in video surveillance systems, video games, and mobile video applications.
In the field of video streaming, MPEG-4 AVC is used by many popular services, including YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. It is also used in video conferencing systems, such as Skype and Zoom, to provide high-quality video at low bit rates.
In the field of digital television, MPEG-4 AVC is used in many countries around the world for the transmission of high-definition television signals. It is also used in Blu-ray Discs, where it provides high-quality video at a lower bit rate than previous standards.
Future Developments
While MPEG-4 AVC is still widely used, new video compression standards are being developed that offer even better performance. These include the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, which was released in 2013, and the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard, which was released in 2020. These new standards offer improved video quality at lower bit rates, and are expected to gradually replace MPEG-4 AVC in many applications.