Chapter 1 - Video Overview

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the engineering essentials of video techniques. Although there are many variations and implementation techniques, video signals are just a way of transferring visual information from one point to another. The information may be from a VCR, DVD player, a channel on the local broadcast, cable television, or satellite system, the Internet, cell phone, MP3 player, or one of many other sources. Invariably, the video information must be transferred from one device to another. A color space is a mathematical representation for a color. Initially, video contained only gray scale, or black-and-white, information. When color broadcasts were being developed, attempts were made to transmit color video using RGB (red, green, blue) color space data, but that technique occupied too much bandwidth so other alternative color spaces were developed. Component video is video using three separate color components, such as YCbCr (digital), YPbPr (analog), or R'G'B' (digital or analog). Composite video uses a single signal to contain color, brightness and timing information. Compression is an important part of video technology. MPEG stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, an international standards group that develops various compression algorithms. MPEG video compression takes advantage of the redundancy on a frame-by-frame basis of a normal video sequence. Many standards organizations are involved in specifying video standards, including Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), Cable Television Laboratories, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), and Consumer Electronics Associations (CEA).