ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004/Amd 2:2005

Overview

ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004/Amd 2:2005 is an important amendment to the international standard for coding audio-visual objects, specifically targeting Part 2: Visual. This amendment introduces new levels for the Simple Profile, enhancing the capabilities for video compression and playback. Developed by the joint technical committee ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29, this standard improves support for higher resolution video commonly used in modern applications.

This amendment, published in 2005 by ISO and IEC, specifies two new levels for Simple Profile-Level 4a and Level 5-which define enhanced parameters including VMV size, buffer sizes, decoder rates, packet lengths, and bit rates. These additions enable better support for resolutions like VGA (640x480) and European SDTV (720x576), addressing practical needs for efficient video coding in information technology.

Key Topics

• New Levels for Simple Profile

  • Introduction of Level 4a and Level 5
  • Extended support for popular video resolutions: 640x480 (VGA) and 720x576 (SDTV)
  • Increased VMV size, VCV buffer size, decoder rate, VBV buffer size, and bit rate limits

• Technical Enhancements

  • Improved visual session handling in rectangular-VOP luminance sample units
  • Enhanced video packet length management for efficient streaming and storage
  • Expanded bitrate and buffer requirements to accommodate higher quality video

• Compatibility and Implementation

  • Backward compatible with existing Simple Profile implementations
  • Defined numeric codes for new levels to ensure standardized recognition and processing
  • Specification updates in Annexes G and N for level identification and parameter details

• Standard Governance and Scope

  • Developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1, Subcommittee SC 29 on multimedia coding
  • Covers practical coding improvements without altering baseline Simple Profile architecture

Applications

This amendment enhances ISO/IEC 14496-2’s utility across a broad range of practical video coding applications:

• Digital Video Broadcasting and Streaming
  New level specifications enable support for standard-definition video broadcasting at common resolutions, ensuring efficient compression for broadcast and streaming platforms.

• Multimedia Content Creation and Distribution
  Enables content developers to encode video at VGA and SDTV resolutions with improved compression efficiency, making it suitable for online content delivery and multimedia messaging.

• Video Surveillance and Security Systems
  Supports higher resolution video capture and playback, enhancing clarity and detail in security footage without significant bandwidth penalties.

• Consumer Electronics
  Facilitates video coding standards implementation in consumer devices like digital cameras, mobile phones, and media players that require standardized visual profiles.

Related Standards

• ISO/IEC 14496-2 (MPEG-4 Part 2: Visual)
  The base document defining video coding techniques and profiles for audio-visual objects, providing the overall framework that Amendment 2 enhances.

• ISO/IEC 14496-1 (Systems)
  Addresses the multiplexing and synchronization of audio-visual data streams, complementing visual coding standards.

• ISO/IEC 14496-3 (Audio)
  Specifies audio coding standards that together with Part 2 support full multimedia content delivery.

• ISO/IEC 23003 (MPEG Audio and Video Coding)
  Covers further extensions and improvements for multimedia coding technologies.

Keywords: ISO/IEC 14496-2 amendment, MPEG-4 Part 2 Simple Profile, video coding levels, VGA resolution video, SDTV resolution coding, visual coding standard, video compression, video buffer size, bit rate enhancement, multimedia standards compliance.