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The development of video coding standards

What evolutionary changes have video coding standards undergone? In this article, Dr Ming Yan discusses his recent research.

In 1948, Shannon et al. used pulse code modulation technology to digital processing of analog signals, indicating the origin of digital video compression coding technology. Since its inception, the technology has developed rapidly.

In 1950~1960, variable length coding and differential predictive coding modulation were first applied to digital video compression coding.

In the 1970s and 1980s, transform coding, quantization coding technology has been significantly developed, and then the DCT technology, vector quantization technology has appeared. At the same time, the hybrid coding mode of prediction, transformation and quantization coding is basically determined. Wavelet transform, adaptive subband coding, bit-layered coding, general B frame, macroblock, context-based arithmetic coding are the optimization of this technology step by step, so that it can compress video images with higher and higher resolution, while ensuring the visual quality of the compressed video image after decompression. With the development of science and technology, China has experienced the era of standard definition and high definition, and now 2k video is gradually put into daily life. With the advent of 5G era, it will be difficult to transmit higher resolution and higher quality video images without supporting video coding compression standards.

In recent years, image coding technology has been rapidly developed and widely used, and is becoming more and more mature. Its symbol is the establishment of several international standards on image coding, namely, the ISO/IEC still image coding standard JPEG, H.26X series of video coding standards of CCITT and MPEG-X series of ISO/IEC and AVS series of video coding standards developed by China. These standard image coding algorithms combine various traditional image coding methods with excellent performance, which are the summary of traditional coding technology and represent the current development level of image coding. Figure 8.20 shows an overview of how these standards have evolved.