ABSTRACT
Interest in high-quality video-based digital communications for business as well as for entertainment applications goes back several years. At one end, digital methods are now planned to be deployed for the support of a new generation of television known as advanced TV (ATV) or digital TV (DVT), although there are several approaches to the matter (terrestrial broadcast, satellite broadcast, and cable TV distribution). At the other end, there is significant interest in delivering desktop business video applications via the Internet protocol (IP) suite of protocols, and over the corporate intranet, the Internet, or other affiliated extranets. In addition to traditional room-based videoconferencing, vertically integrated applications, such as distance learning and telemedicine, are also receiving renewed attention of late. And, PC-based multimedia (e.g., video from digital disks) is becoming ever more popular. Furthermore, as
mobile communications become a basic part of modern life, the next step is to support mobile multimedia applications; in fact, already there are evolving standards and equipment to support handheld (or laptop)- based video telephony.
