[Paper Reading] MPEG: A Video Compression Standard for Multimedia Applications

Paper Site: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/103085.103090

Problem Definition

Why the MPEG standard is required.
The process of setting the MPEG standard.
The essential features of MPEG standard.
What is the MPEG compression algorithm like.

Contribution and Discussion

1. Why the MPEG standard is required:
   Standardization of video compression techniques has become a high priority because only a standard can reduce the high cost of video compression codecs and resolve the critical problem of interoperability of equipment from different manufacturers. The existence of a standard is often the trigger to the volume production of integrated circuits (VLSI) necessary for significant cost reductions.

2. The process of setting the MPEG standard:
   The MPEG methodology was divided in three phases: Requirements, Competition and Convergence.

process

3. The essential features of MPEG standard:

(1) Random Access: Random access requires that a compressed video bit stream be accessible in its middle and any frame of video be decodable in a limited amount of time.

(2) Fast Foward / Reverse Searches: Be possible to scan a compressed bit stream and use the appropriate access points, display selected pictures to obtain a fast forward or a fast reverse effect.

(3) Reverse Playback: Require the video signal to play in reverse.

(4) Audio-Visual Synchronization: The video signal should be accurately synchronizable to an associated audio source.

(5) Robustness to Errors: The source coding scheme should be robust to any remaining uncorrected errors.

(6) Coding / Decoding Delay: The algorithm should perform well over the range of acceptable delays and the delay is to be considered a parameter.

(7) Editability: Be able to construct editing units of a short time duration and coded only with reference to themselves.

(8) Format Flexibility: To raster size and frame rate.

(9) Cost Tradeoffs: The proposed algorithm had to meet the constraint that the encoding process could be performed in real time.

4. What is the MPEG compression algorithm like:
   The MPEG video compression algorithm relies on two basic techniques: block-based motion compensation for the reduction of the temporal redundancy and transform domain-(DCT) based compression for the reduction of spatial redundancy.

Motion Compensation

Transform Domain DCT