MPEG-2, Simple Profile

Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections

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MPEG-2, Simple Profile

Table of Contents

Identification and description
Local use
Sustainability factors
Quality and functionality factors
File type signifiers
Notes
Format specifications
Useful references

Format Description Properties

ID: fdd000033
Short name: MPEG-2_SP
Content categories: moving-image
Format Category: encoding, file-format
Other facets: unitary, binary, unstructured, sampled
Last significant FDD update: 2011-12-01
Draft status: Full

Identification and description

Relationship to other formats
Full name	Information technology -- Generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information (formal name) MPEG-2 (common name) , Simple Profile
Description	Permits the use of Intra-coded (I) frames and predicted (P) frames. A conformance point for this bitstream exists at the Main Level, with a broadcast-stream picture size of 720x576 pixels (non-square pixels), color sampling of 4:2:0, and a maximum data rate of 15 Mb/s.
Production phase	Generally a final-state (end-user delivery) format.
Subtype of	MPEG-2, MPEG-2 Video Encoding (H.262)

Local use

LC experience or existing holdings	See MPEG-2_family
LC preference	See MPEG-2_family

Sustainability factors

Disclosure	Open standard. See MPEG-2.
Documentation	See MPEG-2
Adoption	[Not widely adopted? Less widely adopted than Main Profile?]
Licensing and patents	See MPEG-2.
Transparency	See MPEG-2.
Self-documentation	See MPEG-2.
External dependencies	See MPEG-2.
Technical protection considerations	See MPEG-2.

Quality and functionality factors

Moving Image
Normal rendering	Good support.
Clarity (high image resolution)	See MPEG-2. At a given picture size, data rate, and encoding algorithm, MPEG-2_SP (Simple Profile) will produce less clarity than MPEG-2_MP (Main Profile) or MPEG-2_422 (4:2:2 Profile).
Functionality beyond normal rendering	See MPEG-2.

File type signifiers and format identifiers

Tag	Value	Note
Filename extension	mpg mpeg	There is no explicit MPEG-2 file format; MPEG-2 content "ready to be delivered" is exchanged in files with these extensions.
Internet Media Type	See related format.	See MPEG-2
Magic numbers	See related format.	See MPEG-2

Notes

General
History

Format specifications

See Disclosure under Sustainability factors.

Useful references

URLs

See MPEG-2.

Last Updated: 02/17/2017