Julien Signes

The MPEG-4 systems and description languages: A way ahead in audio visual information representation

Abstract The state of the standardization of the Systems part of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 (MPEG-4 Systems) as specified early 1997 is presented. First, a rationale and the architecture of the complete Systems are described. Based on the rapid technological advances in software and in hardware, the MPEG-4 Systems provides for a framework for the integration of natural and synthetic streamed and synchronised media. The different fields of interest in Systems are then developed from the description of audiovisual scenes to the definition of the multiplex. The programmability of the standard is described for composition and decompression and the language adopted by MPEG-4 on purpose of syntax description is fully detailed. Finally, a conclusion and the future evolutions of the specifications are presented.

MPEG-4's binary format for scene description

The new MPEG-4 standard provides a suite of functionalities under one standard: streaming multimedia content, good compression, and user interactivity. This paper provides an introduction to the use and internal mechanisms of these functions.

Binary Format for Scene (BIFS) : Combining MPEG-4 media to build rich multimedia services

In this paper, we analyze the design concepts and some technical details behind the MPEG-4 standard, particularly the scene description layer, commonly known as the Binary Format for Scene (BIFS). We show how MPEG-4 may ease multimedia proliferation by offering a unique, optimized multimedia platform. Lastly, we analyze the potential of the technology for creating rich multimedia applications on various networks and platforms. An e-commerce application example is detailed, highlighting the benefits of the technology. Compression results show how rich applications may be built even on very low bit rate connections.