MPEG: achievements and future projects

This paper gives a brief account of the four MPEG standards, three established and one under development, by giving a summary description of their functionalities and usage. For MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, now solidly in the hands of industry, the paper describes how they are being used to convert old analogue applications into digital ones and how new applications are being created. For MPEG-4, the standard that has recently been completed, the paradigm that has driven its development and some application areas are recalled. For MPEG-7, the standardisation project recently started, its strategic role for the development of the multimedia industry is highlighted