Gold Coast, Australia, 27 October 2003.
AVC on MPEG Systems
The final element needed to carry AVC (ISO/IEC 14496-10) within MPEG-4 Synchronized Streams is now complete. Previously MPEG completed the ability to carry AVC in its popular MP4 file format and in MPEG-2 Transports Stream used by terrestrial broadcasters. The completion of this latest amendment to MPEG-4 Systems will see AVC and other MPEG’s standards delivered to MPEG terminals. This includes audio, streaming text for subtitles and 2D animated graphics.
MPEG Audio Extensions
MPEG has concluded the standardization and formal verification tests of Spectral Band Replication (SBR), the bandwidth extension tool defined in ISO/IEC 14496-3:2001/AMD1. The verification tests show that the new codec, MPEG-4 High Efficiency AAC, offers a coding gain over MPEG-4 AAC of at least 25% in the bitrate range of 24 kbps/channel. One of the stereo tests shows that High Efficiency AAC operated at 32 kbps stereo performs statistically equivalent to the MPEG-4 AAC operated at 60kbps stereo. MPEG-4 AAC has until now been considered to be the most efficient coding scheme available on the market. However, in the 24 kbps/channel bitrate range, the new High Efficiency AAC has taken over the leading position by a wide margin
MPEG Animation Framework eXtension (AFX)
The MPEG-4 Animation Framework eXtension (AFX) – ISO/IEC 14496-16 – offers, for the first time, a unified standardized framework including a rich set of 3D tools operating at the geometry, modeling and biomechanical level, most of them already well-supported in the industry, and encompassing existing tools previously defined in MPEG-4 specification. Furthermore, advanced features such as compression, streaming, and seamless integration with other audiovisual media, allow building high quality creative cross media applications.
Details of how to obtain MPEG’s Calls for Proposal’s (CfPs) and other public information is shown below.
Call for Proposals on Scalable Video Coding Technology
Responses are expected proposing algorithms and tools, which provide high flexibility in bit rate, frame size and frame rate adaptation at the bitstream level and high compression efficiency (near the performance of state of the art single layer video coding). Prospective proponents are asked to express their interest by December 1, 2003 and pre-register their proposals by December 31, 2003. Deadline for final registration is February 1, 2004, and submission of decoded materials to undergo formal subjective testing is due by February 16, 2004. The design of subjective tests includes two test scenarios, that are clustered around requirements for application such as broadcast/storage/surveillance and streaming/mobile communication. Examples of applications that are expected to benefit from improved scalable coding technologies are: Internet video, wireless LAN video, mobile wireless video for conversation. Also benefiting will be VOD, and live broadcasting purposes, multi-channel content production and distribution, surveillance-and-storage, and layered protection of content.
Call for Requirements on MPEG-21 Architecture and Intellectual Property Management and Protection
A Call for Requirements for MPEG-21 Architecture and IPMP. MPEG has already defined significant elements of the MPEG-21 framework and is now seeking feedback on requirements that will be used to complete the set of MPEG-21 specifications.
Call for Comments on 3DAV
MPEG has issued a Call for Comments on 3DAV, kindly inviting companies and bodies to express their interest in standardization of 3DAV technology. Responses to the Call will be evaluated at the March 2004 MPEG meeting in Munich, where MPEG will also decide the further course of action regarding standardization of 3DAV.
Further information
Future MPEG meetings are as follows: 67th meeting in Waikaloa, Hawaii from 8-12 December 2003, the 68th meeting in Munich, Germany from 19-23 March 2004 and the 69th meeting in Seattle, Washington from 19-23 July 2004.
For further information about MPEG, please contact:
Dr. Leonardo Chiariglione, (Convenor of MPEG, Italy)
Via S. Ambrogio, 4
10040 Villar Dora (TO), Italy
Tel +39 011 935 04 61
Email: mailto:leonardo@chiariglione.net
or
Peter Schirling
IBM Research – Digital Media Standards
River Road, MS 862H
Essex Junction, VT 05452, US
Tel +1 802 769 6123 Fax: +1 802 769 7362
Email: schirlin@us.ibm.com
This press release and other MPEG-related information can be found on the MPEG homepage:
http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg
For the Outstanding Call for Proposals, see the Hot News section, http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/hot_news.htm
The MPEG homepage has links to other MPEG pages, which are maintained by some of the subgroups. It also contains links to public documents that are freely available for download to non-MPEG members.
Journalists that wish to receive MPEG Press Releases by email can contact Peter Schirling.