H.264/AVC is newest video coding standard of the

ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving

Picture Experts Group. The main goals of the H.264/AVC standardization

effort have been enhanced compression performance

and provision of a “network-friendly” video representation

addressing “conversational” (video telephony) and “nonconversational”

(storage, broadcast, or streaming) applications.

H.264/AVC has achieved a significant improvement in rate-distortion

efficiency relative to existing standards. This article provides

an overview of the technical features of H.264/AVC, describes

profiles and applications for the standard, and outlines the history

of the standardization process.