The VC-1 and H.264 Video Compression Standards for Broadband Video Services

Probably the most interesting and influential class to the authors about video compression was EE E6830 (Digital Image Processing and Understanding) at Columbia University in 1995, offered by adjunct Professors Dr. Netravali, Dr. Haskell and Dr. Puri at AT&T. In the class, they impressed the authors with how such difficult and mysterious statements in video standards could be interpreted/ understood in plain human languages. Since then, the authors had had a dream that similar services could also be provided to interpret difficult video subjects into reasonable level of explanations in the future. The VC-1 standard is fundamentally the same as WMV-9. WMV-x video compression technologies of Microsoft have long been the most popular over the Internet due to popularity of Microsoft Operating Systems. The technologies were published in August 2005 for the first time in a formal SMPTE document in the name of VC-1, and the official standard then was finalized in April 2006. In contrast, the MPEG committee recently standardized the MPEG AVC (H.264) video coding standard, whose first version was officially published in May 2003, and several subsequent amendments and corrigenda then followed until recently. These two are highly efficient compression standards that can make hi- quality video services possible for Digital Storage Media (e.g., Blu-ray DVD or HD DVD) and/or broadband networks applications (e.g., IPTV).

The MPEG committee standardized the MPEG AVC (H.264) video coding standard in May 2003. The standard has since seen strong interest and adoption from the industry. A competing standard developed by Microsoft, referred to as VC-1, was standardized in SMPTE in April 2006. VC-1 is essentially a standardized version of Microsoft's Windows Media Video (WMV-9). Both H.264 and VC-1 are highly efficient compression standards that enable high-quality video services such as IPTV and Blu-ray Disc. H.264 and VC-1 are both mandated for high definition video services on Blu-ray Disc. These two standards are expected to form the basis for a new generation of high-quality broadband video services.

The VC-1 and H.264 Video Compression Standards for Broadband Video Services covers these video coding standards, as well as issues in broadband video delivery. No other book about H.264 or VC-1 covers the standards in such detail.  This book interprets the complex standards specifications and makes these new technologies accessible. Both authors have more than 12 years experience working on video compression and communications.

The VC-1 and H.264 Video Compression Standards for Broadband Video Services is designed for researchers and a professional audience, including video engineers, and practitioners in consumer electronics, telecommunications and media compression industries. This book is also suitable as a secondary text or reference for advanced-level students in computer science and electrical engineering.