ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004/Amd 4:2008

Overview

ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004/Amd 4:2008 is an important amendment to the international standard for coding audio-visual objects, specifically addressing the visual component under Part 2: Visual. This amendment, known as Simple Profile Level 6, was published by ISO and IEC in 2008 to enhance the capabilities of the Simple Profile in video coding. The update introduces higher resolution support and increased buffer and bit rate capabilities, enabling improved video quality and performance.

This standard is a fundamental reference for developers, manufacturers, and researchers focusing on multimedia coding technologies, ensuring compatibility and efficient encoding of visual content in applications such as streaming, broadcasting, and video storage.

Key Topics

• Simple Profile Level 6 Introduction
  This amendment defines a new level 6 within the Simple Profile category of the MPEG-4 visual coding standard. It extends the original profile by supporting higher resolutions and improved bit rate parameters.

• Enhanced Resolution Support
  Level 6 supports typical video session sizes at 1280 × 720 pixels, commonly known as 720p HD resolution. This upgrade optimizes rectangular VOP (Video Object Plane) luminance sample units, facilitating high-definition video encoding.

• Increased Buffer and Bit Rate Capacities
  The level defines increased sizes for:

  • VMV (Video Motion Vector) size
  • VCV (Video Coding Video) buffer size
  • VBV (Video Buffering Verifier) buffer size
  • Decoder rates and bit rates

• Table Updates
  This amendment introduces:

  • A new entry in Table G.1 for Simple Profile Level 6 (binary 00000110)
  • Updates to reserved code allocations
  • Additions in Annex N with parameters reflecting the capabilities of level 6

Applications

• High-Definition Video Streaming
  With its support for 720p resolution, the amendment is ideal for streaming platforms delivering HD content where efficient bandwidth usage and high visual quality are required.

• Broadcasting
  Television and digital broadcasting infrastructures can leverage the enhanced profile level to transmit higher resolution video with set buffer and bit rate controls ensuring stable playback.

• Multimedia Storage and Playback Devices
  Devices such as Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and mobile media players benefit from the improved encoding parameters, enabling better playback of higher-quality visual media.

• Video Conferencing and Real-Time Communication
  The added capabilities accommodate smoother video at higher resolutions, improving user experience in professional and consumer-level visual communication tools.

Related Standards

• ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004 – The base standard covering visual object coding under MPEG-4 Part 2, providing foundational profiles and levels for video compression.

• ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29 – The subcommittee responsible for the development and maintenance of multimedia coding standards, including MPEG video and audio standards.

• ISO/IEC 14496 (MPEG-4) – Overall suite of standards covering different parts of multimedia coding including visual, audio, systems, and conformance aspects.

• Adjacent Profiles and Levels
  Understanding Level 6 in context with preceding Simple Profile levels (e.g., Level 5) helps to plan compatibility and system requirements for evolving video coding support.

Summary

ISO/IEC 14496-2:2004/Amd 4:2008 introduces the Simple Profile Level 6 to MPEG-4 Part 2 visual coding, significantly enhancing video compression capabilities for HD resolution at 720p. This amendment is crucial for multimedia technology sectors aiming to improve video quality and transmission efficiency across a wide range of applications from streaming to broadcasting. By standardizing increased buffer sizes and bit rates, it ensures compatibility, performance, and scalability in next-generation audiovisual products and services.

For professionals working with video encoding standards, adherence to this amendment supports robust, high-quality visual content delivery aligned with international best practices.