National and international video conference transmission equipment

This paper describes the techniques and the implementation of video transmission equipment utilizing bandwidth compression for national and international teleconference networks. A video compression codec has been developed which will encode conventional analog television signals incuding audio and data into a compressed data rate of 2 Mbit/s or 1.5 Mbit/s. Two compatible versions of the codec have been developed, one for Euroepan networks and one for networks using N. American standards. The codecs can accept the local TV standard, transmit at the local digital standard and be interconnected without the need for complex standards conversion. The video teleconference transmission format is based on the result of the COST 211 project, a joint European project involving seven countries. The codecs are thus compatible with similar codecs developed within other European countries.