Signal Processing: Image Communication, cilt.9, sa.4, ss.433-463, 1997 (Scopus)
MPEG-4 addresses coding of digital hybrids of natural and synthetic, aural and visual (A/V) information. The objective of this synthetic/natural hybrid coding (SNHC) is to facilitate content-based manipulation, interoperability, and wider user access in the delivery of animated mixed media. SNHC will support non-real-time and passive media delivery, as well as more interactive, real-time applications. Integrated spatial-temporal coding is sought for audio, video, and 2D/3D computer graphics as standardized A/V objects. Targets of standardization include mesh-segmented video coding, compression of geometry, synchronization between A/V objects, multiplexing of streamed A/V objects, and spatial-temporal integration of mixed media types. Composition, interactivity, and scripting of A/V objects can thus be supported in client terminals, as well as in content production for servers, also more effectively enabling terminals as servers. Such A/V objects can exhibit high efficiency in transmission and storage, plus content-based interactivity, spatial-temporal scalability, and combinations of transient dynamic data and persistent downloaded data. This approach can lower bandwidth of mixed media, offer tradeoffs in quality versus update for specific terminals, and foster varied distribution methods for content that exploit spatial and temporal coherence over buses and networks. MPEG-4 responds to trends at home and work to move beyond the paradigm of audio/video as a passive experience to more flexible A/V objects which combine audio/video with synthetic 2D/3D graphics and audio. © 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.