This review by David Wood is reproduced by from the EBU Technical Review : No. 287 (June 2001) by the kind permission of the Editor
Video Compression Demystified
Peter Symes’ book “Video Compression Demystified” is a well balanced survey of the contemporary techniques and tools of video and audio compression. It is a revision and expansion of Peter’s earlier book “Video Compression”, published in 1988. Much has evolved since then, although basic principles such as lossless and lossy compression remain.
Peter covers the material in a non-mathematical way, and the text will be useful to those engineers who need to know how compression works, and to discuss and compare the different systems, without delving into the more advanced mathematics that a university students’ text would give. The book is probably best suited to the practising engineer who needs a topup of the latest information about compression technology, but has neither the time nor the inclination to become an equipment designer.
The book begins with an introduction to compression, and the characteristics of digital coding. The basic types of entropy coding, predictive coding and transform coding are covered, as well as quantization principles. The book goes on to discuss the JPEG system – the father of modern video coding. After this comes a description of Motion Compensation – which was the main tool which took video compression forward beyond JPEG. MPEG-1 tools are explained, and the characteristic macro blocks, etc. The book then moves closer to the present day with information on MPEG-2, now the mainstay of digital television broadcasting throughout the world.
Armed with this knowledge, some elements of the quite complex MPEG-4 compression tools are explained. These will be the mainstay of video delivery on the web, and may also be used for digital broadcasting. The book also includes a chapter on MPEG-7 and MPEG-21, which covers the metadata needed for MPEG-4, and overall system issues.
The book then deals with the DV compression system. Some consideration is also given to technologies not yet used, such as Wavelets and Fractals, and the goals of JPG-2000 are also outlined.
The book has a chapter on Audio Compression, and includes the essential features of the masking systems used for MPEG audio compression, but this is not primarily a text book for audio engineers.
Finally the book outlines some elements of streaming media, which is the way in which real-time video and audio are delivered over the Internet.
The book includes a glossary of terms, a bibliography and a list of Internet resources (though sadly the EBU website is not listed, although the DVB site is). Accompany the book is a CD-ROM which includes a number of freeware or demonstration versions of software applications for the compression of still images, video and audio (although this is not the most essential feature of the book – probably more up-to-date versions could be downloaded straight from the Web).
Overall, the book is a welcome tool in the armoury of those engineers who need to stay on top of the core technologies used in broadcasting.
Video Compression Demystified
P. Symes
Bound volume of 346 pages
Ref: ISBN 0-07-136324-6
David Wood