Offers a way to get the lowdown on the streaming video over the Internet (both wired and wireless) - this work examines the technologies, protocols, and business models on this happening in the world of video and telecom. It includes Internet protocols for delivering streaming media, and audio and video compression schemes.

The experts predict that the opening of broadcast Internet connections and 3G wireless capabilities will drive the adoption of streaming media to 75 per cent of all broadcasting and e-commerce firms by the end of 2003. Author Mark Topic offers the fast, reliable, and painless way to get the lowdown on the streaming video over the Internet (both wired and wireless) - he thoroughly examines the technologies, protocols, and business models on this next giant happening in the world of video and telecom. It includes Internet protocols for delivering streaming media, and audio and video compression schemes. It covers MPEG-4 and MPEG-7, discusses digital rights management, and details Metadata.

Chapter 1:
Introduction Chapter 2:
The Medium 2.1 What is Streaming Media? 2.2 How Does Streaming Media Work? 2.3 Why Was Streaming Media Invented? 2.4 Why is Streaming Media Better? 2.5 Who is Driving Streaming Media's Innovations? 2.6 What's Wrong with Streaming Media? 2.7 When Will Streaming Media Be Ready for Prime Time? Chapter 3:
The Audience 3.1 Who Will Watch? 3.2 How Will We Watch Streaming Media? 3.4 When Will We Watch? 3.5 Why Watch Streaming Media? 3.6 What Will We Watch? Chapter 4:
The Business 4.1 How Will Anyone Make Money With Streaming Media? 4.2 Who Will Make Money? 4.3 When Will Streaming Media Make Money? 4.4 Why Will Streaming Media Make Money? Chapter 5:
Upsides - Downsides 5.1 How Significant is Streaming Media? 5.2 What Could Go Wrong?
Conclusion
Appendix A: MPEG-4 Profiles
Visual Profiles
Audio Profiles
Graphics Profiles
Scene Graph Profiles
Appendix B: MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Coding Compared
Appendix C: Audio and Video Sweetening Techniques
Audio Sweetening
Video Sweetening
Appendix D: Real World Streaming Media Encoding
Encoding Machines
Software-Based Encoding Tools
Encoding Labs
Precompression Signal Conditioners
Video Capture Cards
Appendix E: Video and Audio Compression
Introduction
Transform Coding
The JPEG Standard
The MPEG Standard
How MPEG-2 Was Tuned for High Quality of Experience
MPEG-4 Video Compression
Concatenation
Digital Audio Data Compression
References
Glossary
Sources
Bibliography
Index