What is MPEG-2?
MPEG stands for “Motion Picture Experts Group”, which is the standards committee that dreamed up the MPEG-2 compression algorithm. MPEG-2 is the de-facto standard compression technology used for DVD video. Video must be highly compressed so longer programs can fit on a single disc. The longer the program, the greater the amount compression required fit it on the disc. Higher compression results in poorer video quality. That is why there is no standard bit-rate, or amount of compression, for DVD video. Instead, compressionists prefer to choose the highest bit rate they can (hence the lowest compression) that still lets them fit everything on the disc. The quality of a given MPEG encoder directly affects the quality of the video on the disc.
At a meeting hosted in New York by Columbia University, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) completed definition of MPEG-2 Video, MPEG-2 Audio, and MPEG-2 Systems. MPEG therefore confirmed that it is on schedule to produce, by November 1993, Committee Drafts of all three parts of the MPEG-2 Standard, for balloting by its member countries. To ensure that a harmonized solution to the widest range of applications is achieved, MPEG, an ISO/IEC working group designated JTC1/SC29/WG11, is working jointly with the ITU-TS Study Group 15 Experts Group for ATM Video Coding. MPEG also collaborates with representatives from other parts of ITU-TS, and from EBU, ITU-RS, SMPTE, and the North American HDTV community. The final approval of ISO/IEC 13818-1 (MPEG-2 Systems), ISO/IEC 13818-2 (MPEG-2 Video) and ISO/IEC 13818-3 (MPEG-2Audio) as International Standard (IS) was given by the 29th meeting of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 (MPEG) held in Singapore in November 1994.
At a meeting hosted in New York by Columbia University, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) completed definition of MPEG-2 Video, MPEG-2 Audio, and MPEG-2 Systems. MPEG therefore confirmed that it is on schedule to produce, by November 1993, Committee Drafts of all three parts of the MPEG-2 Standard, for balloting by its member countries. To ensure that a harmonized solution to the widest range of applications is achieved, MPEG, an ISO/IEC working group designated ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11, is working jointly with the ITU-TS Study Group 15 Experts Group for ATM Video Coding. MPEG also collaborates with representatives from other parts of ITU-TS, and from EBU, ITU-RS, SMPTE, and the North American HDTV community.
