(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
RDATE:25082008

Hollywood presents Emmy Award to ITU, ISO and IEC Revolutionary video
standard - H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC - recognized by US TV Academy

Issued jointly by ITU, ISO and IEC

Geneva -- The US Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded the
prestigious Primetime Emmy Award for Excellence to ITU, ISO and IEC -
global leaders in making standards - for their work in producing an
advanced video coding standard, formally known as Recommendation ITU-T
H.264 | ISO/IEC Standard 14496-10 on Advanced Video Coding (AVC).

The Joint Video Team (JVT), made up of experts from the three
international standards organizations, received industry recognition
for its landmark achievement in developing a "high profile" that
extends the reach of high quality video from mobile telephones right
through to High Definition Television (HDTV). The JVT was formed in
2001 by the ITU Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is a highly efficient video compression method that
substantially reduces the bandwidth needed to deliver high quality
video and the space required to store it. Seven sets of capabilities,
referred to as "profiles", have been created for use in specific
applications. It is a combination of the great efficiency of the codec
as well as its scalability in delivering excellent quality across the
entire bandwidth spectrum - from high definition television to
videoconferencing and 3G-mobile multimedia - that has led to its
increasing popularity.

The award was given at a ceremony in Hollywood, Los Angeles on 23
August and received by Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU's
standardization bureau, and Scott Jameson, Chair of the ISO/IEC Joint
Technical Committee on Information Technology (ISO/IEC JTC 1) together
with representatives of the JVT management team. In his acceptance
speech on behalf of the three organizations, Malcolm Johnson said,
"H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is a jewel in the crown of international standards
collaboration. This standard's versatility has been recognized and
applauded across an amazing spectrum of industry. Its widespread
adoption is testament to the flexibility and efficiency that has been
engineered by a group of people that have dedicated themselves to
achieving this goal. It also demonstrates a sincere and strong belief
in the power of international standards."

ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden said, "This second Emmy Award in 12
years for multimedia standards developed by ISO and its partners is
living proof of the market relevance of international standardization
as practised by ISO, IEC and ITU, while illustrating the role played by
international standards in translating innovation into useable
technology."

Commenting on the award, the IEC General Secretary & CEO Ronnie Amit
said, "I would like to pay tribute to the experts from the industry who
have made the work of the JVT so relevant and timely. Their leadership,
energy and inspiration to bring video and audio coding standards to
fruition shows what truly international standards can bring in terms of
interoperability and benefits, and how they can touch the lives of
billions of people around the world."

The Engineering Emmy awards are presented "for developments in
engineering that are either so extensive an improvement on existing
methods or so innovative in nature that they materially affect the
transmission, recording or reception of television."

H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is now being deployed in products and services from
companies such as Adobe, Apple, BBC, BT, France Telecom, Intel,
Motorola, Nokia, Polycom, Samsung, Sony, Tandberg and Toshiba to
deliver high definition video images over broadcast television, cable
TV and a variety of direct-broadcast satellite-based television
services as well as Blu-Ray disc formats, mobile phones and Internet
Protocol television (IPTV).

About ITU

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and
communication technology issues, and the global focal point for
governments and the private sector in developing networks and services.
For more than 140 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of
the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning
satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in
the developing world, and established the worldwide standards that
foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications
systems.

ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums

bringing together the most influential representatives of government
and the telecommunications industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and
technology for the benefit of the global community, and in particular
the developing world.

From broadband Internet to latest-generation wireless technologies,
from aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and
satellite-based meteorology, from phone and fax services to TV
broadcasting and next-generation networks, ITU is committed to
connecting the world.

About ISO

ISO is a global network of national standards institutes from 157
countries. It has a current portfolio of more than 17 000 standards for
business, government and society. ISO's standards make up a complete
offering for all three dimensions of sustainable development -
economic, environmental and social. ISO standards provide solutions and
achieve benefits for almost all sectors of activity, including
agriculture, construction, mechanical engineering, manufacturing,
distribution, transport, medical devices, information and communication
technologies, the environment, energy, quality management, conformity
assessment and services.

About IEC

The IEC, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is the world's leading
organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for
all electrical, electronic and related technologies - collectively
known as "electrotechnology". IEC standards cover a vast range of
technologies from power generation, transmission and distribution to
home appliances and office equipment, semiconductors, fibre optics,
batteries, flat panel displays and solar energy, to mention just a few.
Wherever you find electricity and electronics, you find the IEC
supporting safety and performance, the environment, electrical energy
efficiency and renewable energies.

About the WSC

The World Standards Cooperation (WSC) is the high-level entity formed
by IEC, ISO and ITU to provide a strategic focus for their cooperation
on international standardization.

Visit our Web site at http://www.itu.int/newsroom

CONTACT: Sanjay Acharya, Chief, Media Relations and Public Information,
ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 5046
Tel: +41 79 249 4861
e-mail: pressinfo@itu.int
Toby Johnson, Communications Officer, ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 5877
Tel: +41 79 249 4868
e-mail: toby.johnson@itu.int
Roger Frost Manager, Communication Services, ISO
Tel: +41 22 749 0111
e-mail: frost@iso.org
Jonathan Buck, Director of Communications, IEC
Tel: +41 22 919 0265
e-mail: jjb@iec.ch

((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information
provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties.
Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at
http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to
info@m2.com)).

Copyright ? 2008 M2 Communications Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: