Audio and Video Coding Standard Workgroup of China (hereinafter as AVS Workgroup)

AVS Workgroup was authorized and established by Science and Technology Department under National Information Industry Ministry in June, 2002. In order to meet the requirement of information industry and realize the union of the native enterprises and research institutions, the role of the group is to establish (or edit) such general technical standards as the compression, decoding, processing, and the representation of digital audio-video and meanwhile provide the digital audio-video equipments and systems with high-efficient and economic coding/decoding technologies. This standard is applied in the field of significant information industry such as high-resolution digital broadcast, high-density laser-digital storage media, wireless broad-band multimedia communication, and internet broad-band stream media.

Brief Introduction to the AVS Development

The fully Intellectual Property of second generation Source Coding-Decoding Standard – AVS is owned by China. Source coding technology mainly focuses on mass video and audio (original data and sources) compression technology, also known as digital video and audio coding technology. Obviously, as the premise of digital information transmission, storage and broadcast it is also the general foundation character standard of the digital video& audio industry.

There are two video and audio decoding standard series implementing international: ISO/IEC JTC1 formulation MPEG series standard; ITU which in view of multimedia correspondence formulation H.26x series video coding standard and G.7 series audio coding standard. MPEG-2 which formulated by MPEG and ITU cooperation in 1994 was the representative of the first generation video and audio decoding standard and is also the most broadly used internationally.

Evolves after more than ten years, both video and audio coding technology and industrial application background had changed significantly. At present there are four optional video and audio industry coding standard: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC (for short AVC, also known as JVT, H.264) and AVS. The first three standards are complete by the MPEG experts group, the fourth is China independent formulation. Divides from the development phase, MPEG-2 is the first generation of information source standard, other three are the second generation of standard. Compares from main technical specification - coding efficiency: MPEG-4 is 1.4 times of MPEG-2, AVS and AVC are similar and more than twice of MPEG-2.

The outmoded technology and extortionate price of MPEG-2 will result in it withdraws from the historical arena. MPEG-4 appears the new patent permitting policy of MPEG-4 appears too harshly which makes it unable to be accepted, thereby besieged by the multitudinous business operators. As a result MPEG-4 falls into a deadlock and future is difficult to predict. AVS is China independent standard which based on homeland innovative technology and partial public technology. AVS coding efficiency is more than 2-3 time of MPEG-2, and similar with AVC. Moreover the AVS technical plan is succinct; chip is less complex. It also achieves the highest level of second generation. Moreover AVS solved the deadlock of AVC patent permission through the succinct one step permission policy. AVS is the opening national and international standard, easy to promote; In addition, AVC is only one video coding standard, but AVS is a set of integrity standard system which contains system, video, audio and media copyright management in the inside standard system also provides the more comprehensive solution for the digital video and audio industry. In summary, AVS may be one of the best choice of the second generation of source standard.

The AVS standard is the series of "information technology advanced Audio and Video Coding" standard abbreviation. The AVS standard includes four main technical standards: system, video, audio and digital copyright management; and support standard: consistency test. At the 7th conference in December 18-19th, 2003, the workgroup completed the AVS standard first part (system) and the draft final manuscript (FCD) of second part (video frequency). The software which forms the complete set with the standards has also been authorized. On December 29th, 2004, the national information technology standardization technical committee organized to appraise and pass the AVS standard video coding draft. In January, 2005, the AVS workgroup submitted the draft report to the Information Industry Department. On March 30th, the first trial of Information Industry Department approved that the video part of the draft standard enters the public showing time. At first quarter of 2004 year (8th plenary session) announced official start of "digital copyright management and protection" standard formulation and the standard is already near last act at present. At the beginning of 2005 (12th plenary session) completed the third part (audio) draft.

On 30th April, 2005, AVS standard video part officially passed the public show and became the national standard.

Three major characteristics of AVS:

1. China coordinates the formulation, technically advanced second generation of source coding standard - advanced
2. patent pond management system and completed standard workgroup law document - independent
3. Formulations process open, internationalized - opening