Video coding — techniques , standards and applications

Virtually all teleconferencing systems incorporating video use compression algorithms to reduce the video data rate to manageable proportions. For a given bit rate, higher compression brings higher quality, although there can also be disadvantages, such as increased delay. Conferencing implies interconnectability, so the development of appropriate standards has played a vital part in enabling the videoconferencing market in particular to become established. This paper describes the main techniques used in video compression and how these have been embodied in successive generations of standards appropriate to various application areas. Other non-standardised techniques, and forthcoming standards are also discussed.