Adaptation of the MPEG Video-Coding Algorithm to Network Applications

The Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) video-coding algorithm is regarded as a promising coding algorithm for coding full-motion video. However, since MPEG was originally designed for storage applications, some problems must be solved before the algorithm can be applied to interactive services. Due to the use of periodic intraframe coding and bidirectional interframe prediction, the end-to-end delay of the MPEG algorithm is much larger than that of the H.261 algorithm. In packet video transmission, the large peak in bit rate caused by periodic intraframe coding may lower performance of statistical multiplexing. In this paper, real-time video transmission using the Hybrid Extended MPEG (Bellcore's proposal to ISO/MPEG) is considered. First, the end-to-end delay of the Hybrid Extended MPEG algorithm is analyzed. Then several schemes to reduce the delay are considered and compared with regular coding schemes in terms of image quality, end-to-end delay and performance of statistical multiplexing. Error resilience of the presented schemes is also tested by simulations assuming cell loss. It is shown that the presented schemes improved the end-to-end delay and performance of statistical multiplexing significantly.