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)