Bit-rate characteristics of a VBR MPEG video encoder for ATM networks

The authors present the bit-rate characteristics of variable bit-rate (VBR) MPEG-1 compatible video intended for asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network applications. The VBR coding mode for MPEG video is of special interest in teleconferencing and workstation multimedia applications requiring constant image quality, low delay, and/or integrated multimedia transport. Simulation data are provided for a 5-10 Mbps CCIR601 VBR MPEG encoder appropriate for standard-quality TV broadcasting or multimedia applications. The results presented include bit-rate traces and signal-to-noise ratio for typical test sequences, along with summary bit-rate statistics. The performance of frame-based peak rate control as a traffic shaping method is studied. Signal-to-noise ratio obtained with VBR and constant bit-rate coding modes operating at the same average bit-rate is also given for purposes of comparison