Explaining MPEG ... that's easy No? MPEG is the video compression thingie that makes files smaller so you can put them on CD's or DVD's. Close, but no cigar..
Most people that have ever worked with a computer and video files get this far. But what is it really, what does it do, and how does it work?
In order to be able to exploit the capabilities of MPEG video compression we need to have a basic understanding of what MPEG video compression is, how it works, and why it works the way it works. There is much more involved than simple compression.
Here, we give an overview of the MPEG compression systems and the basic working. While reading on, it will go deeper in detail on how the compressor, and decompressor works. It is important to understand that MPEG video compression is an extremely complex system based on difficult mathematical algorithms and models.
The additional fact that most of the compression is done in the time domain adds to the complexity of the system, and makes understanding its inner workings more difficult.
What is MPEG?
The easiest way to explain MPEG is to start by explaining what it is not! Contrary to what most people think, MPEG is NOT a video format, nor is it a compression system. It's also not an audio file format. Then what is it?
MPEG is an acronym for Moving Picture Experts Group. In other words: a committee of a bunch of people that are studying motion pictures and their encoding and delivery systems.
MPEG standards:
Even though the MPEG environment looks rather informal, it has to be borne in mind that standards can be of high strategic relevance. The MPEG exists to produce standards. Those currently produced by ISO are indicated by 5 digits (the ISO number for MPEG-1 is 11172 and for MPEG-2 is 13818).
• MPEG-1 Audio and Video
• MPEG-2 Audio and Video
• MPEG-4 Audio and Video
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