MPEG2HEVC

MPEG2HEVC is a term used to describe methods for encoding MPEG-2 video content with the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC, H.265) codec, or the corresponding transcoding systems that convert MPEG-2 to HEVC bitstreams. It is not an official MPEG standard; rather, it reflects industry and research interest in applying HEVC’s improved compression to legacy MPEG-2 material.

Technical approaches typically fall into two categories. Decode-then-encode transcoding decodes MPEG-2 video to raw pictures, then encodes those frames using HEVC. Bitstream-level translation aims to map MPEG-2 syntax and parameters to HEVC constructs without full decoding, though this approach is more complex and less common in practice. Implementations must address color space conversion, chroma subsampling, frame rate and resolution changes, and differences in GOP structure between MPEG-2 and HEVC.

Potential benefits include higher compression efficiency, enabling lower bitrates for comparable quality and easier delivery over modern networks. This can extend the useful life of legacy content when migrating to HEVC-enabled workflows. Limitations involve higher computational demands for encoding, possible quality differences introduced during re-quantization or structure changes, and licensing considerations associated with HEVC. Compatibility considerations also arise, since now the content targets HEVC decoders rather than MPEG-2 decoders, which may affect playback on older devices.

MPEG2HEVC is commonly discussed in archival, broadcast migration, and streaming pipelines as a practical approach to modernizing MPEG-2 libraries, rather than as a formal standard. See also MPEG-2, HEVC, and transcoding.