MPEGAVC

MPEG-AVC, also known as H.264/AVC or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard jointly developed by ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and ISO/IEC MPEG. It was standardized in 2003 as ITU-T H.264 and ISO/IEC 14496-10. The standard was created by the Joint Video Team (JVT) to provide high compression efficiency across a range of applications, from mobile streaming to Blu-ray discs.

MPEG-AVC uses block-based motion-compensation, variable block sizes, and multiple reference frames. It employs intra- and inter-frame prediction, transform coding with a discrete cosine transform, quantization, and entropy coding using CABAC or CAVLC. It supports in-loop deblocking and other filtering to improve visual quality. Profiles define capabilities and usage scenarios: Baseline for mobile and error-prone channels, Main for general-purpose broadcasting, and High for higher quality and resolution; additional profiles include High 4:2:2 and 4:4:4, with scalable extensions available in certain configurations.

The codec achieved broad adoption in high-definition video delivery, including Blu-ray Discs, streaming platforms, video conferencing, and broadcast television. It remains widely supported on devices and software players and is commonly used as a baseline for modern video delivery systems due to its balance of quality and efficiency. Licensing for AVC’s essential patents is managed by patent pools and individual holders, and products incorporating the standard typically require appropriate licenses. MPEG-AVC’s success also spurred the development of successor codecs such as HEVC (H.265), which aim for further improvements in compression efficiency.