Operational concepts of MPEG-4 H.264 for tactical DoD applications

The global broadcast service (GBS) continually strives to provide optimized broadband dissemination of information to disadvantaged warfighter in the field. Limits in bandwidth availability, diversity of receive equipment, and an increase in information passed through GBS all facilitate a need for a more robust compression algorithm than the current MPEG-2 based system. MPEG-4 implements advanced video compression algorithms (ASP, H.264) to provide intelligent, managed, end-to-end video services for the deployed tactical warfighter using less bandwidth than current MPEG-2 encoders at Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) sources and GBS satellite broadcast managers (SBM). MPEG-4 was designed to seamlessly enhance and eventually replace current MPEG-2 infrastructure by leveraging optimized bandwidth usage and encoding schemes. MPEG-4 H.264 uses a predictive encoding algorithm to provide content at up to 50% less bandwidth than required by MPEG-2 to deliver streaming video to the warfighter. This encoding method reduces bandwidth strain on terrestrial DISN circuits as well as satellite broadcast channels and increases the information delivery capacity of GBS content to tactical warfighters. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance and reconnaissance programs increasingly need methods for optimally packaging and distributing information. MPEG-4 supports the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of "raw" data through video management service (VMS) solutions. Authoring tool kit capabilities within the VMS can incorporate metadata extensions, including telemetry and sensor data, into broadcasted video steams. As the GBS expands its video content service offerings to remote end users, MPEG-4 should be implemented to maximize the limited transport layer bandwidth and optimally disseminate content from all sources to various end users across multiple domain platforms