Video - MPEG-1

MPEG-1 is the designation for a group of audio and video coding standards agreed upon by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). MPEG-1 video is used by the Video CD format. The output quality at usual VCD bit rates is roughly that of a VCR . MPEG-1 audio layer 3 is the full name for the popular audio format MP3 .

MPEG-1 consists of several "parts", as follows:

1. Synchronization and multiplexing of video and audio. See Transport stream .
2. Compression codec for non-interlaced video signals.
3. Compression codec for perceptual coding of audio signals. The standard defines three "layers," or levels of complexity, of MPEG audio coding.
   1. MP1 or MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 1 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 1)
   2. MP2 or MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 2 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2)
   3. MP3 or MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3)
4. Procedures for testing conformance.
5. Reference software.

Reference: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 (June 1996)

MPEG-1 video

The MPEG-1 standard was originally designed for 1.5M bit/second datarates and 352x240 resolution. Later improvements allow for up to 4M bit/second for better quality. At present MPEG-1 is the most compatible format in the MPEG family; it is playable in almost all computers and VCD/DVD players.

One big disadvantage of the MPEG-1 is that it supports only progressive scan video, which is part of the reasons which prompted the more advanced later MPEG-2 .