Image and Video Compression Standards: Algorithms and Architectures

This is a good text on compression techniques for video and audio signals for industry and academia alike. It serves as a good introduction to the signal processing aspects (without requiring a sophisticated mathematical background) and quickly delves into the practical aspects of implementation. It explains the hardware architectures, and software choices and tradeoffs that one would encounter in the implementation of video compression standards (MPEG 1,2, H.263 etc) and provides an introduction to audio standards like AC-3 and MPEG audio as well. The book also often lists important feature sets of current products in the market. The parts that I found most useful are the discussions (with block diagrams) of ICs and solutions from vendors like C-Cube and TI and the discussion on media processors like Trimedia, MPact etc. At the end of every chapter, resources for further probing are outlined for the interested reader.This book is perhaps most useful to someone with some digital signal processing background, to get an overview of problems and approaches to image, audio and video compression in the industry.The price is somewhat high, but the investment may be worth it for your company, or yourself!