The 1394 Trade Association announced today that a new study group has been formed to investigate the need and demand for a new specification to transport MPEG-4 video over IEEE 1394. The group will identify which parts of the MPEG-4 standard are applicable, and review strategies for possible implementation. It will operate under the auspices of the 1394 Trade Association's Architecture Work Group, which is chaired by Peter Johansson. Don Harwood of Oxford Semiconductor, a leading member of the 1394 Trade Association, will direct the MPEG-4 over IEEE 1394 project, and the group will meet regularly beginning in March to complete its evaluation and report the results to the Architecture Work Group.

It will begin by reviewing the MPEG-4 standard with a specific focus on the H.264 advanced video codec, which was developed by the Moving Pictures Experts Group and International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The codec is designed for a full range of applications including HDTV, 3G mobile multimedia, video conferencing and others. Potential strategies for a useful specification include the transport of MPEG-4 in 'native' form over 1394, or extension of the IEC 61883-4 standard that specifies MPEG-2 encapsulation for 1394.

Shipments of digital TVs, mobile handsets, DVD players/recorders and other products equipped with MPEG-4 video capabilities have been increasing steadily since 2002, and growth is expected to continue. Delivering MPEG-4 video over IEEE 1394 would extend the popular audio-video standard, which is now included in hundreds of models of digital TVs, DVD recorders, set top boxes, PCs, camcorders, hard disk drives, and other products. 1394-equipped products are branded as FireWire, i.LINK, or DTV Link.