TABLE OF CONTENTS Virtually all applications of video and audio communications deal with enormous amounts of data. Because of this, compression is an integral part of most modern digital media systems. In fact, compression is essential to the ATSC DTV system and the European DVB system.
Most commercial compression systems employ a combination of processing techniques. Any scheme that becomes widely adopted can enjoy economies of scale and reduced market confusion. Timing, however, is critical to market acceptance of any standard. If a standard is selected well ahead of market demand, more cost-effective or higher-performance approaches may become available before the market takes off. On the other hand, a standard may be merely academic if it is established after alternative schemes already have become well entrenched in the marketplace.
These factors have placed a great deal of importance on the standards-setting activities of leading organizations around the world. It has been through hard work, inspiration, and even a little compromise that the JPEG and MPEG standards have developed and evolved to the levels of utility and acceptance that they enjoy today.
With these important benchmarks in place, manufacturers have been able to focus on implementation of the technology and offering specific user-centered features. Fortunately, the days of the video tape...
