H.264 and MPEG-4 Video Compression: Video Coding for Next Generation Multimedia [Hardcover]

Iain E. Richardson (Author), Iain E. G. Richardson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470848375 | ISBN-13: 978-0470848371 | Publication Date: August 12, 2003 | Edition: 1

Following on from the successful MPEG-2 standard, MPEG-4 Visual is enabling a new wave of multimedia applications from Internet video streaming to mobile video conferencing. The new H.264 ‘Advanced Video Coding’ standard promises impressive compression performance and is gaining support from developers and manufacturers.  The first book to cover H.264 in technical detail, this unique resource takes an application-based approach to the two standards and the coding concepts that underpin them.

• Presents a practical, step-by-step, guide to the MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 standards for video compression.
• Introduces the basic concepts of digital video and covers essential background material required for an understanding of both standards.
• Provides side-by-side performance comparisons of MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 and advice on how to approach and interpret them to ensure conformance.
• Examines the way that the standards have been shaped and developed, discussing the composition and procedures of the VCEG and MPEG standardisation groups.

Focussing on compression tools and profiles for practical multimedia applications, this book ‘decodes’ the standards, enabling developers, researchers, engineers and students to rapidly get to grips with both H.264 and MPEG-4 Visual.

Dr Iain Richardson leads the Image Communication Technology research group at the Robert Gordon University in Scotland and is the author of over 40 research papers and two previous books on video compression technology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"…a well-written and practical reference guide to these standards, and the author's fluid style turns what might be a complex subject into enjoyable reading…" (IEEE Multimedia, January-March 2005)

"...a fascinating attempt to explain the fundamentals of MPEG-4 video technologies...highly recommended for broadcast engineers..." (EBU Technical Review, 2004)

From the Back Cover

Following on from the successful MPEG-2 standard, MPEG-4 Visual is enabling a new wave of multimedia applications from Internet video streaming to mobile video conferencing. The new H.264 ‘Advanced Video Coding’ standard promises impressive compression performance and is gaining support from developers and manufacturers. The first book to cover H.264 in technical detail, this unique resource takes an application-based approach to the two standards and the coding concepts that underpin them.

• Presents a practical, step-by-step, guide to the MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 standards for video compression.
• Introduces the basic concepts of digital video and covers essential background material required for an understanding of both standards.
• Provides side-by-side performance comparisons of MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 and advice on how to approach and interpret them to ensure conformance.
• Examines the way that the standards have been shaped and developed, discussing the composition and procedures of the VCEG and MPEG standardisation groups.

Focussing on compression tools and profiles for practical multimedia applications, this book ‘decodes’ the standards, enabling developers, researchers, engineers and students to rapidly get to grips with both H.264 and MPEG-4 Visual.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470848375
• ISBN-13: 978-0470848371
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Iain Richardson is the author of two leading texts on MPEG-4 / H.264 Advanced Video Coding and is an internationally known expert on video compression. Director of Vcodex Ltd and OneCodec Ltd and Honorary Professor at RGU, Aberdeen, he is sought after as a speaker, consultant and expert witness on video compression technology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First on the subject, rough around the edges, December 25, 2003

By 

Jonah Probell "Jonah Probell" (Silicon Valley & Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: H.264 and MPEG-4 Video Compression: Video Coding for Next Generation Multimedia (Hardcover)

This is the first text book published on H.264. It has a nice overview of digital video compression techniques followed by chapters focusing on the specifics of each of the MPEG-4 and H.264 standards. Buying this book relays much of the same information but is more cost effective than buying each of the papers and articles on the subject from IEEE and others.

It appears that this book was rushed to publication in order to be first. Particularly in the chapter on H.264, there are many typos and incomplete figures. In some places, a new technical term is used without proper introduction. I look forward to a cleaner second edition in the future.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars One Chapter on H.264 Only - Don't Bother, September 16, 2005

By 

J "AGeorgiaEngineer" (Lawrenceville,GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: H.264 and MPEG-4 Video Compression: Video Coding for Next Generation Multimedia (Hardcover)

I got this book since it is the only book on H.264 I know of.
There is a single chapter on H.264, chapter 6. The free
on-line papers from Richardson are mostly what is in that chapter.

There are plenty of H.264 overviews on the net for free
which cover the subject in greater depth which are more current.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally solid, and still the only book out there, June 13, 2007

By 

Matt Ginsberg (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: H.264 and MPEG-4 Video Compression: Video Coding for Next Generation Multimedia (Hardcover)

I almost didn't get this book because some of the other reviews are pretty bad. I'm glad I got it!

This isn't a standard. So you won't find every table that's part of h.264, but you'll find enough that the standard will be accessible after you read this book. And given that the goal is conversational instead of documentary, Richardson has done a terrific job of simultaneously describing a host of relatively difficult concepts, explaining how they fit together, and explaining their places in the MPEG4 and H.264 standards.

This is probably not a first book on video compression; for that, you might try Digital Video Compression (with CD-ROM). If you get that other book, though, only read the first half. (The second half is absurdly dated and not very helpful.) I think it's reasonable to read the first half of that book, then this one, and then jump right into the standard itself (for whatever purposes you want to do that).