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High Quality Videotelephone and High Definition Television System

Objetivo

As it is expected that video will play a major part in the different services offered by the future broadband network, the main intention of the project is to prepare a harmonised and compatible family of video coding systems for high quality videotelephony, conventional television and high definition television, including the necessary network and standardisation aspects.
As it is expected that video will play a major part in the different services offered by the future broadband network, the main intention of the project is to prepare a harmonised and compatible family of video coding systems for high quality videotelephony, conventional television (TV) and high definition television (HDTV), including the necessary network and standardised aspects.
A number of compatible improvements have been studied and adaptation to packet networks is under consideration. As the success of videotelephony is critically dependant on keeping the cost down, a hardware model has been constructed, from which the architecture for an integrated codec (consisting of a few very large scale integration (VLSI) chips) has been derived. The realisation of this codec is in progress. In parallel, packet oriented videotelephone codec algorithms making use of one or 2 layers have been defined and subsequent contributions have been made to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
In the field of sound and TV/HDTV coding, the partners in the high quality videotelephone television system (HIVITS) project have contributed to International Standards Organisation (ISO) (sound) and CMTT (TV coding at 34 Mbits{-1}). For this latter application, international agreement has been reached on a solution very close to the HIVITS reference model, and a hardware codec has been built. Connection of this hardware to an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network emulator is under progress.
A proposal to extend this system to HDTV has been established and hardware has been demonstrated. Constraints on compatibility between resoulution standards for the distribution of TV and HDTV signals to the consumer have been clarified. This has led to the concept of compatible or multiresolution coding, now under study by simulation. A firdt architecture approach to compatible coding has been performed.
Technical Approach

The intended coding scheme is the hybrid (predictive DCT) scheme and the bit-rates aimed at are in the range from about 2 Mbit/s for videotelephony and 8-34 Mbit/s for conventional TV to 34/140 Mbit/s (possibly 280 Mbit/s) for HDTV, depending on the quality required (ie for contribution or distribution). This project involves the definition of algorithms, the specification of required components (VLSIs) and the realisation of demonstrators.

The project is organised into two application-oriented sub-projects, addressing: videotelephone coding for point-to-point and conferencing applications, and TV / HDTV coding for distribution and contribution applications. Common groups and workshops are seen as the best means to increase cross-fertilisation between these application-oriented sub-projects at the level of video algorithms and hardware, with the aim of sharing experience and even software or components (VLSI) for sub-functions.

Key Issues

- Flexibility, to match the requirements of different applications.
- Possibility of low-cost implementation in end-user equipment.
- Compatibility with other elements of IBC.

Achievements

The partners in the HIVITS project have strongly participated in the definition of CCITT Recommendation H.261 covering videotelephone/ videoconference applications on channels up to and including 2048 Mbit/s. A number of compatible improvements have been studied and adaptation to packet networks is under consideration. As the success of videotelephony is critically dependent on keeping the cost down, a hardware model has been constructed, from which the architecture for an integrated codec (consisting of a few VLSI chips) has been derived. The realisation of this codec is in progress. In parallel, packet oriented videotelephone codec algorithms making use of one or two layers have been defined and subsequent contributions have been made to ETSI.

In the field of sound and TV/HDTV coding, the partners in the HIVITS project have contributed to ISO (sound) and CMTT (TV coding at 34 Mbit/s). For this latter application, international agreement has been reached on a solution very close to the HIVITS reference model, and a hardware codec has been built. Connection of this hardware to an ATM network emulator is under progress.

A proposal to extend this system to HDTV has been established and hardware has been demonstrated under the auspices of the EBU during the WARC 92 conference. Constraints on compatibility between resolution standards for the distribution of TV and HDTV signals to the consumer have been clarified. This has led to the concept of compatible or multi-resolution coding, now under study by simulation. A first architecture approach to compatible coding has been performed. A first step of the hardware realisation will be performed in 1992.

Approximately 50 publications and contributions to CCIR, CCITT, and ETSI have been written by the RACE HIVITS partners so far.

Expected Impact

The definition of a family of compatible bit-rate- reduction techniques enabling the economical digital transmission of video signals, well matched to the variety of applications that are foreseen in the IBC.

Ámbito científico

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Coordinador

Thomson CSF
Aportación de la UE
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Dirección
3 avenue de Belle Fontaine
35510 Cesson-Sévigne
Francia

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Última actualización: 26 Octubre 1992

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/R1018/es

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