EMPHASIS: Architectures Software and Hardware for MPEG-4

Goals, and technical approach of the project. EMPHASIS started in October 1995 and was successfully completed in October 1998. The partners were SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (UK) which was co-ordinator during the first two years of the project, SRF/PACT (UK), CSELT (Italy), HHI (Germany), University of Hannover (Germany), EPFL (Switzerland), FZI (Germany), ENST (France), CNET (France), Studer Professional Audio (Switzerland), Siemens (Germany), LEP-Philips (France) which was co-ordinator during the third year, Matra Nortel Communications (France) and TAO Group (UK). The main goal of the EMPHASIS project was to firmly establish a European lead in software and silicon technology suitable for meeting the needs of MPEG-4. In so doing, EMPHASIS played a very active role in the definition of the MPEG-4 standard from an implementation realisation perspective, thereby bridging the gap between the MPEG-4 related hardware and software developments. More precisely, the objectives of EMPHASIS were to contribute to the following areas: • Systems Architecture elements; • Development of optimised MPEG-4 Audio and Video software decoders and implementation on a European processor; • Audio & Video composition and rendering tools (2.5 & 3D); • Specifications for processor and co-processor architectures that meet the processing demands of MPEG-4 applications; • Integrated demonstration of a typical MPEG-4 application showing real time audio and video decoding, object based interactivity and multi users functionality. The technology developed by EMPHASIS will permit the Multimedia, telecommunications and broadcast industries to rapidly exploit the benefits provided by the MPEG-4 standard at the earliest opportunity. At the time of writing (August 99), direct exploitation of the results is under way. The approach taken was the following. In a first phase, using a C/C++ model of MPEG4 developed within the project, the processing requirements induced by the MPEG-4 related functions have been analysed, taking into consideration the available processors being developed at that time by major European and non European manufacturers. With these results, the need for processor architecture improvements and/or co-processor assistance has been assessed and MPEG-4 relevant hardware elements have been synthesised. In parallel, optimised software for MPEG-4 audio and video real time decoding, composition and rendering have been developed. Two versions have been produced: generically optimised (i.e. platform independent) and platform (Philips processor TriMedia) optimised. Several successful demonstrations of real time MPEG-4 multimedia decoding have been organised during the duration of the project at MPEG-4 meetings (Stockholm, Fribourg), at ECMAST 98 and IBC98 where for the first time, real time streaming of MPEG-4 content was shown.