The Application of MPEG-2 MP@ML within TV-Centers - Mandatory, Useful or a Nuisance?

MPEG-2 MP@ML will play an important role not only for distribution purposes but for the contribution of TV - contents to the main broadcast centers. It's the base for DTV in the US and DVB in Europe. This fact is very often used to assert that the use of MPEG-2 MP@ML - signals within television studios will become mandatory. To check the validity of these arguments, this paper analyses the problems, which are related to such an approach, and their proposed solutions. It is the task of this paper to discuss the implications for typical operational practices within TV-studios, which are arising with the proposed use of MPEG-2 MP@ML. This type of signal should not be confused with the MPEG-2 4:2:2 P@ML professional studio-format at 50 Mbit/sec, which was especially created for the use within TV-studios. — Two opposite statements are made at the present time: • MPEG-2 MP@ML is a distribution and transmission format and therefore not suited for the operational procedures within a TV-studio. • Above assertion is a pure prejudice, an opinion without analyzing the facts. — Mid of the eighties a similar discussion took place. Two camps fought over standards for a new digital studio format. The arguments used were quite similar to the ones used today in the battle over MPEG-2 MP@ML for studio use. • PAL/NTSC are distribution formats. The operational procedures within TV-studios can only be performed by using digital component signals. • Due to the fact that PAL/NTSC are used for distribution, it would be very beneficial to remain in these composite formats for studio applications in the digital domain as well. — Today we know that technological progress together with changed operational needs and practices has proven right those people who argued in favor for giving up the identity of studio signal and distribution signal. It is not without historical irony that today we would never discuss a possible use of the MPEG-2 MP@ML distribution format for use within TV-studios without abandoning the distribution formats PAL/NTSC for production purposes. Nevertheless, on the basis of the historical similarities of the used arguments, it will be of interest to draw a comparison between the distribution formats PAL/NTSC and MPEG-2 MP@ML for studio applications.

Published

1999-07

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/M001190

ISBN

978-1-61482-948-5