READ ME
to Archivists about the MPEG-A Process
Glenn Pearson/NLM Version of Sept 29, 2005
About Creating a New MPEG-A Multimedia Application Format (MAF)
ISO/IEC 23000 (“MPEG-A”) allows a group of interested parties to develop with MPEG a new multimedia meta-standard, by selecting existing technologies from all published MPEG (and other) standards, and combining them into a MAF. The process aims to serve clearly-identified market needs by facilitating the swift development of new, standards-based multimedia applications and services. This application-driven process results in multimedia formats specifications and reference software implementations, with interoperability on an application level.
While the detailed description of the MAF process suggests promotion by industry alone, it is hoped that “industry” can be read as encompassing other players in the archiving community with software development capabilities and a willingness to commit them.
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Our submission(s) will support the initial steps shown in blue in the figure, as well as ideas for the detailed technical specifications. A submission, if found acceptable, will be added to list of MAFs under consideration on the MPEG Web site (mpeg.chiariglione.org), in order to solicit input, comments, and contributions from interested parties. The degree of industry interest in a submission, as contained initially or in response to the posting, is a prime aspect for the go/no-go decision to be taken by MPEG. If MPEG determines that there is enough demand to warrant a MAF, then the steps shown in red are undertaken by MPEG and the proposal’s supporters. |
Potential participants in this effort should review the additional information in [MPEG-A] and [N6832]. These also summarize existing MPEG-A application areas. It is important for archivists and interested others to shape this effort as much as possible while it is “open”, prior to formal submission to the MPEG group.
Be aware that a restriction of the MPEG-A process is that chosen technologies be advanced enough in their respective standardization process that they will be at Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) stage or beyond, once the MAF itself reaches FDIS stage. This suggests that aspects of our submission(s) should not rely on changes to standards, although it might recommend them. Changes could also be proposed and promoted separately. Note that some standards provide for extensibility and usage of such mechanisms here would arguably not be a “change” to those standards.
References
[MPEG-A] “MPEG-A: A New Kind of MPEG Standard”, April, 2005. From www.mpegif.org/resources/mpega.pdf.
[N6832] ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11/N6832, Palma de Mallorca, ES, October 2004, MPEG-A Multimedia Application Format Overview and Requirements (v.2), Wo Chang, editor. From www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/standards/mpeg-a/mpeg-a.htm
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Last updated: 01/30/06.