MPEG-4

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MPEG-4 Windows Media

• Dr. Jordi Ribas-Corbera
• Lead Program Manager, Codecs
• Digital Media Division
• Microsoft Corp
• JordiR_at_microsoft.com

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Overview

• Digital Media Introduction
• Windows Media Technologies and MPEG-4
• MPEG-4 status in industry
• Benefits of MPEG-4
• Microsoft efforts in MPEG-4
• Challenges facing MPEG-4
• Microsofts position on MPEG-4
• Summary

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Digital Media World

• Many devices
• Wired or wireless
• Access from anywhere
• Software Integration
• Personalized delivery

Rich Services
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Windows Media Tech
Live Content
License Server
Download Play Streaming
Live Feed
On-demand Content
Windows Media Encoder
Windows Media Services Server
Windows Media Player PC, Hand-held, STB
Streaming from a WM Server (or Web Server)
Stored Content
Authoring
Playback
Distribution
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Windows Media Tech and MPEG4
WMT
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Encoder
Windows Media Rights Manager
Windows Media Format (ASF Codecs DRM)
Windows Media SDK
Windows Media Services
Windows Media Embedded PAK
WM Format CODECSWindows Media Video Windows
Media Audio ISO MPEG-4 Video Windows Media Screen
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MPEG-4 Status in Industry

• Several companies are implementing different
  parts of MPEG-4 in their products
• Apple, Envivio.com, E-vue, Fraunhofer, Ivast,
  Matsushita, Microsoft, Philips, Sharp, Toshiba,
  
• First successful interoperable products
  (developed independently) using MPEG-4 Video
• Sharps Internet ViewCam and Microsofts Windows
  Media Player, in 1999
• NTT DoCoMo Eggy wireless terminal and
  Microsofts Windows Media Encoder and Player, in
  2000
• Some tools for creating and authoring MPEG-4
  format emerging

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Benefits of MPEG-4

• Standards are helpful for interoperability
• Follows successful MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 efforts
• Improved quality over previous MPEG standards
• E.g., MPEG-4 Video (version 1) saves 15-25 of
  bit rate over MPEG-2 -- according to MPEG-4
  tests
• Larger set of target applications over previous
  MPEG standards
• From very low to very high bit rates
• Multiple codecs for different media (voice, still
  image, etc.)
• Several companies are already implementing parts
  of the standard

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Microsoft Efforts in MPEG-4

• Actively participant since 1995 to help develop
  MPEG-4
• 100 contributions ? focused on Video coding
• Contributed C official version of Verification
  Model (VM) Video software (enc/dec) to ISO
• Current MPEG Video Chairman is from Microsoft
• Created essential IP used in standard
• Participating in MPEG-4 Video Patent Pool
  (currently there are 19 companies in M4VisualPHG)
• Helped make MPEG-4 popular in industry
• Supported MPEG-4 Video codec in Windows Media
  Technologies
• Partnered with companies using MPEG-4 Video
• Interoperating with products / services from NTT
  DoCoMo, Sharp,
• Demo

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Challenges Facing MPEG-4

• Huge standard ? limits interoperability
• Video with 20 profiles (simple, core, main,
  still texture, streaming, advanced simple, etc.),
  Graphics (SHNC, FAPs), Audio, Speech, Systems
  (File Format, Bifs, DMIF)
• Many versions V1, V2, V3, V4
• MPEG-4 is a large set of tools that companies
  pick and choose
• MPEG-4 video quality not competitive with state
  of the art in compression
• Other emerging Standards such as ITU-T H.26L
  claim better performance
• E.g., see Q15-H-21 in ftp//standard.pictel.com/vi
  deo-site/9908_Ber, 1999.
• Popular internet codecs already providing better
  quality
• E.g., Real Video 8 and Windows Media Video 8
• New video codec effort starting in MPEG
• Some features are unproven commercially as of now
  
• E.g., object-based coding, sprites, SHNC, FAPs,
  Bifs,
• MPEG-4 lacks complete solution for end-to-end
  delivery
• No Digital Rights Management, Screen codec,
  Networking protocols/Server (with system layer)
• Licensing of MPEG-4 not yet clear

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Microsofts Position on MPEG-4

• Microsoft continues support of MPEG-4 video for
  interoperability
• Microsoft continues to innovate with Windows
  Media
• Customers demand the best quality
• State-of-the-art Windows Media Video and Audio
  codecs
• Complete end-to-end solutions
• Digital Rights Management
• High-performance streaming protocols/server
• Specialized codecs such as Windows Media Screen

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Summary

• Microsoft provides support for MPEG-4 video today
  for interoperability
• MPEG-4 is a broad standard and likely not all
  components will achieve commercial viability
• Other technologies are also needed to meet
  customers requirements
• Customers can choose interoperability or better
  quality / feature set with Windows Media

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Q A

• For more information
• http//microsoft.com/windowsmedia
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/windowsmedia

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