Chapter 7. MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.264

MPEG Definitions

MPEG stands for Motion Picture Experts Group, an ISO/IEC standards organization group that is developing various compression algorithms. In this chapter we will take a look at the most commonly used MPEG standards for video compression. First we will define some terms.

MPEG-1 was the first MPEG standard defining the compression format for real-time audio and video. Features include random access, fast forward, and reverse playback.

MPEG-2 extends the MPEG-1 standard to cover a wider range of applications. Higher video resolutions are supported, to allow for HDTV applications, and both progressive and interlaced video are supported.

MPEG-4 supports an object-based approach, where ...

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