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  • MPEG1 - Something to think about?

    Hi All! How 'bout your opinions?

    Today mpeg1 is used mostly as an intermediate video format, often used even by the $4k capture cards, but will the future see its revival as a final destination?

    I think it's an interesting question now that the model for streaming web video may be changing. While it's too early to predict with any certainty, the technology of storing video content & then encoding it on the fly makes so much sense, that it's hard to imagine anyone storing content in each of the 3 or 4 major streaming formats a few years from now. I really do think this might catch on in a huge way...

    You've got the casual home user intimidated by the notion of encoding and posting their own content for friends and family, & you've got business, with tons of reasons to jump on board...

    First is the duplication of effort that seems the thrust of so much technology development, XML for example; once you've got the data, be it subscription info, an article, video, whatever, it's a waste each time someone else has to handle it. Second is the push towards automation that some analysts predict will cut staff by more then 50% in some types of business, for example Progressive Insurance & their automated web based rate quotes.

    Third is the cost of streaming video itself; while on the fly encoding may not initially make it any cheaper, economies of scale could bring the price down. There are already companies that do automated encoding, but then you have to store the results on specifically tailored servers -- eliminating this could also drop prices. Fourth, if your neighbor is intimidated by the thought of putting that video up on the web for the grandparents to see, what about the biz world where the stakes are much higher? How many companies have held back because of the costs of developing in house talent, or because IT for whatever reason has frowned at the thought? How many have shelves of corporate video they've had produced already?

    So, why does this make a bit of difference regarding the venerable MPEG1? Storage is becoming cheaper at a rapid pace, so the larger file sizes don't hurt nearly as badly, plus, which format besides uncompressed (which is still way too large) transcodes better?

    Still, it's far from a shoe-in... MPEG 2 & 4 files can be encoded to different streaming formats, and with the average system horsepower expected to jump after XP's introduction, there should be less of a hardware barrier. Then there are the DV formats, will all their pro's and con's -- could they take over or will they be more likely to run along side as the corporate world repurposes existing video archives?

    What about software? Could it turn proprietary, with companies requiring you to use their code as a condition of uploading video? What about Ulead, Adobe, & Sonic Foundry -- whatever route they go, will their customers have to follow? So far compression codecs have focused on size, not on their ability to be re-encoded, so the individual & editable frame hasn't gotten much attention -- if size and bandwidth are only concerns down the road (after final encoding on the fly), will work start on some new & improved MPEG1?

    Will it even matter to most of us? I'm assuming that if things in some areas of video move back towards MPEG1, that'll show up in the software we use, and that's how or why it could mean something -- I could be thinking like Henry Hudson!

    Well? What does everyone else think?


    mike

  • #2
    The impetus now is MPEG-4.

    The MPEG-4 standard has been released and Quicktime will be its basis. Here's the url to the MPEG-4 format spec;

    http://www.cselt.it/mpeg/standards/m...peg-4.htm#E9E1

    Most notable quote from sec. 8.9:

    "The MP4 file format is designed to contain the media information of an MPEG-4 presentation in a flexible, extensible format which facilitates interchange, management, editing, and presentation of the media. This presentation may be ‘local’ to the system containing the presentation, or may be via a network or other stream delivery mechanism (a TransMux). The file format is designed to be independent of any particular delivery protocol while enabling efficient support for delivery in general. The design is based on the QuickTime® format from Apple Computer Inc."

    The new MPEG-4's advantage is that it not only can contain audio and video "media objects", but also many other types of content, including 3D objects and "sprites", that can be used interactively. This is NOT just a video codec. Not even close.

    This is not your fathers MPEG-4 and is hell-and-gone more advanced than simple MPEG-1.

    Also understand that MPEG-4 will exist within an even more encompassing standard called MPEG-21. MPEG-21 is a standard for delivery and consumption that will include interaction, ratings etc. etc. for most all media types. MPEG-21 will be a VERY big deal. Here's its link;

    http://www.cselt.it/mpeg/standards/mpeg-21/mpeg-21.htm

    Dr. Mordrid


    [This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 20 June 2001).]

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    • #3
      Great Answer!

      Stuff does sound exciting!

      Mike

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      • #4
        Interesting yes, but until stand-alone boxes that support these formats sell for <$150 its all a bunch of marketing hot-air that's only intresting to us computer geeks.

        VHS is everywhere. VCD and MPEG1 can eventually replace VHS as most DVD players can play them back and good encodings really do look like VHS to most poeple.

        But if DVD-R really gets as cheap as quickly as it looks like it might, and the compatability with existing players is close to what we're hoping for, these "advanced" formats are going to have a very tough road.

        IMHO, internet streaming media is a bad joke.
        Technologies that assume wide availabilty of broadband are likely to be very disappointing for a long time.

        --wally.

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        • #5
          Actually this stuff is not limited to just DVD-R/RW/RAM or new hardware at all. It's more wide ranging than that and coming rather soon. Much sooner than you think.

          Dr. Mordrid


          [This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 20 June 2001).]

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          • #6
            Ok Doc, you got me interested...what kind of inovations are you hinting at?

            Ted
            Premiere PRO XP Pro
            Asus P4s533
            P4-2.8
            Matrox G450
            RT.x100
            45 GIG System Drive
            120 Export Drive
            Promise Fastrak 100(4x80 Maxtor)
            Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

            Toshiba Laptop
            17" P4-3 HT
            1024 RAM
            32 MEG GForce
            60 GIG 7200RPM HD
            80 GIG EXT HD (USB 2/Firewire)
            DVD RW/RAM

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            • #7
              My prediction is that in the next four years you'll be watching video-on-demand on your television set. With a new set-top receiver to interpret the signal, all of the functionality of MPEG4 and MPEG21 will be realizable.

              - Aryko

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              • #8
                Aryko's got part of it in terms of enhanced cable utility.

                VERY enhanced streaming net video is another part and most likely the first implemented. We're not just talking about viewing the family video here, we're talking about highly interactive streaming video with 3D content, branching etc.

                Also coming VERY soon: new connectivity for TV's, VCR's, DVD's, DVD-R's etc. etc. This in the form of new IEEE-1394 specs that will not only have the normal 4 wire connection but optical as well.

                Composite & S-Video are on the way out.
                Video over IEEE-1394 is on the way in.

                Not all but part of the reason: it's easier to enforce content protection over a digital connect than an analog one. Sorry guys, but Macrovision type things will be in the I/O chipsets as well as in the editing cards.

                Philips and its competitors already have the chipsets for this, one of which is a TV set on a chip with IEEE-1394 I/O.

                High speed optical networks for both business and home will also be part of this.

                Dr. Mordrid


                [This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 21 June 2001).]

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