An Overview of MPEG-21

Cory McKay

Introduction

Built on top of MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 standards Much more than just an audiovisual standard Meant to be a tool for delivering data in a

broader sense Emphasis put on being able to distribute data

over a wide range of networks and devices

Introduction

Want to integrate technologies of creation, distribution, packaging and consumption

ISO discusses MPEG-21 as a "Multimedia Framework" used to distribute "Digital Items“

Digital items store both binary and text data

Makes use of XML

Status

Standard is still in being developed Started in 2000 Coordinated by the ISO Motion Picture

Group Isn’t expected to be completed for several

more years

Status

MPEG issues calls for proposals and meets with representatives of industry and other standards bodies to discuss then

Released so far: Technical Report Digital Item Declaration Standard: uses XML to

provide a model for defining digital items Digital Item Identification Declaration Standard: allows

unique identification of digital items and their components

Status

Still being worked on: Intellectual Property Management and Protection Rights Expression Language Rights Data Dictionary Digital Item Adaptation Reference Software File Format Digital Item Processing Evaluation Tools for Persistent Association Test Bed for Resource Delivery

Scope

Will define key elements needed to deliver content and the relations and operations that link them

Level of detail of recommendations will vary for each framework element and will concentrate on interoperability

Will define syntax and semantics used to specify elements and the protocols associating interfaces

Actual implementation of framework elements below the abstraction level will not be specified

Official Goals

“… describe an open framework which allows the integration of all components of a delivery chain necessary to generate, use, manipulate, manage, and deliver multimedia content across a wide range of networks and devices.”

“… define the technology needed to support Users to exchange, access, consume, trade and otherwise manipulate Digital Items in an efficient, transparent and interoperable way.”

Official Goals

Underlying idea is to “bringring technology and content standards together”

ISO puts emphasis on facilitating digital commerce and ensuring intellectual property rights

Goals are both both ambitious and vague

Sample Uses – Images

Allow users to transfer still and video images between networks and devices (digital cameras, digital video cameras, PCs, webTV, PDAs, printers, etc.) using a single standard

Add additional information such as voice and text to images if needed

Embed descriptive data in digital items that can be used to search for them on networks or databases

Sample Uses – Databases

Store many different types of data and search keys in a single digital item

Make each component of a digital item extractable in such a way that it maintains information about itself and its relation to other components

Only allow authorized users to view or edit certain components of a digital item

Sample Uses – Commerce

Allow vendors to send a digital items that contain information about products as well as forms that users could fill out to make purchases

Allow user navigation of digital items (e.g. click on a map to see flight routes to a certain city)

Enable digital items to automatically check periodically over a network to see if they should update themselves to reflect new developments

Sample Uses – Commerce

Facilitate encryption to ensure privacy of information such as credit card numbers

Rules relating to varying levels of user access can be embedded in digital items

Conditions under which a digital item can be reproduced can be controlled (copyright control)

Authour information can be irrevocably embedded in digital items (intellectual property rights)

Sample Uses – Entertainment

Allow video games to be run from a digital item

Combine diverse types of media in a original and interactive ways

Sample Uses – Music

Store both MIDI and audio tracks in a single digital item

Store lyrics and score information along with audio. Videos, set designs, Max patches, etc. could also be stored

Useful for collaborative compositions. Could edit all components together or separately

Secure streaming of multiple types of information

Summary of Priorities

Store a wide range of multimedia (and other) data

A digital item can store descriptive information about itself as a whole, its components and its relation to external data

Able to be recorded, edited, viewed and stored on many different types of systems using many different types of tools with as little loss of functionality or quality as possible

Capabilities can expand as technology changes

Summary of Priorities

Ensure privacy Control reproducibility and embed information

about original authour Allow interactive use Can automatically update itself and interact with

other objects over networks. Can be transmitted on any network to any device Ensure minimum quality of service during

transfers

Conclusion

Very ambitious project Has a great deal of potential Has political and ethical ramifications in

terms of freedom of access to information and intellectual property rights

Still a lot of work to be done

Bibliography

ISO Moving Picture Experts Group. 2003. MPEG Home Page [online]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/)

ISO Moving Picture Experts Group. 2002. MPEG-21 Overview v.5 [online]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/standards/mpeg-21/mpeg-21.htm)

Bibliography

ISO Moving Picture Experts Group. 2001. MPEG-21 Use Case Scenarios v2.0 [online]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://ipsi.fraunhofer.de/delite/Projects/MPEG7/Documents/W4330%20M21%20Use%20Cases.html)

Bibliography

ISO Moving Picture Experts Group. 2003. MPEG Working Documents [online]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/working_documents.htm)

 Koenen, Rob. 2001. From MPEG-1 to MPEG-21: Creating an Interoperable Multimedia Infrastructure [online]. ISO Moving Picture Experts Group. Available from World Wide Web: (http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/documents/from_mpeg-1_to_mpeg-21.htm)