Compression
Video compression is the process of using computing power to reduce the size of images or video regardless if it will be stored on a hard drive or sent over a network. Compression is a tradeoff between CPU (processor) cycles and small sizes and there are two types: image compression and video compression. Here are a few:
- JPEG (image) – very common form of image compression. Found in digital cameras, cellular phones and laptops.
- M-JPEG (image) – using JPEGs as frames to make ‘motiion’.
- Wavelet (image) – more efficient than JPEG.
- JPEG-2000 (image) – standardization of wavelet compression.
- MPEG-2 (video) – very common – used for DVDs, cable TV and Internet based media.
- MPEG-4 (video) – better compression than MPEG-2; more suitable for low bandwidth applications. Records image deltas to reduce bandwidth requirements.
- MxPEG – Mobotix’s proprietary compression format which was used to obtain higher image quality of moving objects when compared to MPEG-4. This format was designed for low bandwidth consumption and quick reaction times. It is important to note that the license is free to use, allowing developers to integrate MxPEG video.
- H.264 (video) – can be up to 3 times more efficient than MPEG-2 and is becoming popular.
Better hardware can result in better ability to compress video. Compression is important for applications where large amounts of video will be transmitted or stored.