MPEG-2 over ATM for video dial tone networks: issues and strategies

Market growth for PC multimedia and digital video owes largely to the rapid adoption of ISO compression standards by the industry. For video dial tone (VDT) services, the MPEG-2 set of standards have clearly emerged as the preferred coding method for VDT networks. For point-to-point switched video or multimedia connections, ATM has emerged as the technology of choice for switching and transport. This article describes how compressed digital video is transported over a VDT network, what some of the issues are, and how they are being addressed by the industry. It describes a generic VDT reference architecture, and the delivery method of video and multimedia information over such a network.< >