Chapter 8: Coding of High Quality Moving Pictures (MPEG-2)

Overview

Following the universal success of the H.261 and MPEG-1 video codecs, there was a growing need for a video codec to address a wide variety of applications. Considering the similarity between H.261 and MPEG-1, ITU-T, and ISO/IEC made a joint effort to devise a generic video codec. Joining the study was a special group in ITU-T, Study Group 15, SG15, who were interested in coding of video for transmission over the future broadband integrated services digital networks (B-ISDN) using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport. The devised generic codec was finalised in 1995, and takes the name of MPEG-2/H.262, although it is more commonly known as MPEG-2 [1].

At the time of the development, the following applications for the generic codec were foreseen:

BSS	broadcasting satellite service (to the home)
CATV	cable TV distribution on optical networks, copper etc.
CDAD	cable digital audio distribution
DAB	digital audio broadcasting (terrestrial and satellite)
DTTB	digital terrestrial television broadcast
EC	electronic cinema
ENG	electronic news gathering (including SNG, satellite news gathering)
FSS	fixed satellite service (e.g. to head ends)
HTT	home television theatre
IPC	interpersonal communications (videoconferencing, videophone, . . .)
ISM	interactive storage media (optical discs etc.)
MMM	multimedia mailing
NCA	news and current affairs
NDS	networked database services (via ATM etc.)
RVS	remote video surveillance
SSM	serial storage media (digital VTR etc.).

Of particular importance is the application to satellite systems where the limitations of radio spectrum and satellite parking orbit result in pressure to provide acceptable quality TV signals at relatively low bit rates. As we will see at the end of this Chapter, today we can accommodate about 6–8 MPEG-2 coded TV programs in the same satellite channel that used to carry only one analogue TV program. Numerous new applications have been added to the list. In particular high definition television (HDTV) and digital versatile disc (DVD) for home storage systems appear to be the main beneficiaries of further MPEG-2 development.