INTERNATIONAL
ORGANISATION FOR STANDARDISATION
ORGANISATION
INTERNATIONALE DE NORMALISATION
ISO/IEC/JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11
CODING OF MOVING PICTURES
AND AUDIO
ISO/IEC
JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11 N8915
April 2007 –
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Source: |
Convener
of MPEG |
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Status: |
Approved
by WG11 |
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Subject: |
MPEG Press Release |
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Date: |
2007
April 27 |
MPEG Enables Music Representation for Scores of New
Applications
Highlights of the 80th Meeting
Audio -- Symbolic Music Representation Progresses to
FDIS
Music is a complex piece of information and, although
it is usually experienced in its audible form, many notations have been
developed over the years and ages to visually represent the information needed
by a performer to play the musical work and to produce music as intended by the
author. With the spread of computer technology into the artistic fields, new
application scenarios for computer-based applications of symbolic music representation
have been identified. The MPEG Symbolic Music Representation (SMR) enables the
development of a large number of completely new applications for music
representation in the domains of entertainment, education, and information
delivery. The types of applications that
can benefit from SMR include applications for distance learning, rehearsal and
musical practice at home, and consumer electronics like set-top boxes for
interactive TV, personal computers, and mobile systems.
The MPEG SMR may be used to represent many kinds of
symbolic music including different styles of Chant, Renaissance, Classic,
Romantic and 20th Century styles, Korean notation, simplified notations for
children, Braille, and more.
MPEG-4 3D
Graphics -- 3D Multiresolution Profile
MPEG has initiated a new amendment of MPEG-4 3D Graphics, entitled
“3D Multiresolution Profile”. The MPEG tools selected for this profile allow
view dependent navigation in large 3D graphics environments. By including
progressive transmission of compressed data between client and server, the
profile addresses applications such as city visualization. Based on efficient
data compression algorithms, the profile targets wide coverage of terminals and
networks from high-end, dedicated 3D graphics devices to mobile devices.
The MPEG-4 tools selected for the “3D Multiresolution Profile”
were published in ISO/IEC 14496-16 Second Edition (2006) and its first
amendment. They consist of tools for efficient compression of static meshes,
progressive mesh representation based on wavelet decomposition, progressive
building representation based on adaptive footprint, as well as animation tools
such as interpolator compression, bone-based animation and morphing. This
unique collection will allow application developers to set up various scenarios
such as terrain navigation in games or city guides. Preliminary implementations
of the “3D Multiresolution Profile” were demonstrated at the 80th
MPEG meeting.
MPEG-21 -- Conformance
As a developer of standards designed to enable the
creation of horizontal markets for its technologies, MPEG places a great deal
of attention to the means for an implementer or a buyer of a product to test
the claimed conformity to a standard such that interoperability between
implementations from different sources can be guaranteed. This meeting
saw the completion of the MPEG-21 Conformance specification. This document
covers all eighteen parts of the standard and tackles conformance of metadata
standards in ways that have not previously been considered. The standard contains many conformance files
as well as test engines for areas such as Rights Expressions. This allows users
to test whether new implementations are conformant and to guarantee
interoperability. The Conformance specification is closely linked with the
MPEG-21 Reference software, a new edition of which will shortly be made
available by MPEG.
MPEG-A -- Protected Music Player MAF
The
second edition of the Music Player MAF was finalized at this meeting. This
music player format combines MP3, MPEG-4 and MPEG-21 technologies to create a
scalable format for the transfer of music and collections of tracks. It is a
unique format as it can be used either with no protection or with various levels
of protection ranging from simple encryption to the more complex DRM solutions.
As such, it makes a perfect solution for managed music content which may or may
not be protected. The format provides
for metadata and images to be attached to the music tracks, creating a rich
media experience. This is demonstrated
by the accompanying reference software which is being made available by MPEG at
http://standards.iso.org/ittf/PubliclyAvailableStandards/.
Other Accomplishments of the 80th Meeting
Spatial Audio Object Coding
At
the 80th MPEG meeting, WG11 has produced the Final Spatial Audio
Object Coding Evaluation Procedures and Criterion. This document will guide the
evaluation of responses to the Call for Proposals on Spatial Audio Object
Coding (SAOC). The Call was issued at the 79th meeting, and
responses are due at the 81st meeting in
MPEG-E Multimedia Middleware – M3W Components
Finalization
MPEG promoted the remaining three parts (Part 5: Component Download,
Part 6: Fault Management and Part 7: System Integrity Management) of M3W
(ISO/IEC 23004, MPEG-E (Multimedia Middleware)) to the final stage at the 80th
meeting. The first four parts (Part 1: Architecture, Part 2: Multimedia API,
Part 3: Component Model and Part 4: Resource and Quality Management) had
already reached this stage at the previous MPEG meeting in January 2007. All
seven parts of M3W are therefore now completed. M3W constitutes a major
industry reference for the now pervasive domain of multimedia applications.
Musical
Slide Show
MPEG
finalized the Musical Slide Show MAF standard at the 80th meeting,
which was released as ISO/IEC 23000-4 Musical Slide Show Application Format.
The Musical Slide Show MAF is MPEG’s newest Multimedia Application Format,
which will provide users with the ability to organize and combine JPEG photos with
their favorite MP3 music to create various slide show presentations. Depending
on the application, users can add animation effects to image transitions, which
allow richer, smoother, and more exciting slide shows overall. The Musical
Slide Show MAF uses the MPEG-4 file format, and it is intended to be played
across various mobile devices, e.g. mobile phones, digital cameras, portable
multimedia players, etc.
With
the Musical Slide Show MAF, users can:
· Create personal slide shows using their favorite photos
and MP3 music.
· Consume musical contents (resembling “music videos,” but
much lighter in file size) authored and distributed by professionals.
· Study foreign language with standard test (such as
TOEFL) samples created with a MAF file.
Other
application scenarios include story-telling and Karaoke applications.
Contact MPEG
Digging
Deeper Once Again
Communicating
the large and sometimes complex array of technology that the MPEG Committee has
developed is not a simple task. The experts past and present have contributed a
series of white-papers that explain each of these standards individually. The
repository is growing with each meeting, so if something you are interested is
not there yet, it may appear there shortly - but do not hesitate to request it
as well. You can start your MPEG adventure at: http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/mpeg-tech.htm
Further Information
Future MPEG meetings are planned as follows:
No. 81,
No. 82, Shenzhen, CN 22-26 October 2007
No. 83,
For further information about MPEG, please contact:
Dr. Leonardo Chiariglione (Convener
of MPEG, Italy)
Via Borgionera, 103
10040 Villar Dora (TO),
Tel +39 011 935 04 61
Email: mailto:leonardo@chiariglione.org
or
Arianne T. Hinds
IBM Systems and Technology Group
Tel +1 303 924 6984
Email: arianne@us.ibm.com
This press release and other MPEG-related information can
be found on the MPEG homepage:
http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg
The text and details related to the
Call mentioned above (together with other current Calls) are in the Hot News
section, http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/hot_news.htm. These documents include information on how
to respond the Calls.
The MPEG homepage also has links to other MPEG pages which are
maintained by the MPEG subgroups. It also contains links to public documents
that are freely available for download by non-MPEG members.
Journalists that wish to receive MPEG Press Releases by email can contact Arianne Hinds using the contact information provided above.