Microsoft Video 1

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Microsoft Video 1[a] is an early lossy video compression and decompression algorithm (codec) that was released with version 1.0 of Microsoft's Video for Windows in November 1992.[2] It is based on MotiVE, a vector quantization codec which Microsoft licensed from Media Vision.[3][4]: 193 

Compression algorithm

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Microsoft Video 1 uses vector quantization to compress the video in a lossy manner. Key frames may be set at variable intervals, from a minimum of every 15 frames, in order to achieve compression ratios of 10:1 to up to 100:1.[5]: 380–381 [6] It operates either in an 8-bit palettized color space or in a 15-bit RGB color space.[3][7]: 74  Each frame is split into 4×4 pixel blocks,[8] which can be coded in one of three modes: skip, 2-color or 8-color. In skip mode, the content from the previous frame is copied to the current frame in a conditional replenishment fashion. In 2-color mode, two colors per 4×4 block are transmitted, and 1 bit per pixel is used to select between the two colors. In 8-color mode, the same scheme applies with 2 colors per 2×2 block. This can be interpreted as a 2-color palette which is locally adapted on either a 4×4 block basis or a 2×2 block basis. Interpreted as vector quantization, vectors with components red, green, and blue are quantized using a forward adaptive codebook with two entries.[9]

Hardware implementation

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Initially a software-only codec,[6] in 1993 Media Vision released a hardware implementation of Microsoft Video 1 for use in capture cards in the form of two ASICs: the MVV251 and the MVV351. The MVV251 was responsible for capturing analog video, while the MVV351 compressed it using the Microsoft Video 1 codec in 16-bit mode, performing this compression on-die.[10][11] The company later marketed the Pro Movie Spectrum, an ISA board that captured video in both raw and Microsoft Video 1 formats, with the Microsoft Video 1 processing done in hardware on the board.[12]: 226 

Reception

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Microsoft Video 1 received widespread use among multimedia PC users in the early 1990s.[13]: 229  Its early momentum was helped by the fact it was the only codec shipped with the initial version of Video for Windows in 1992 besides Intel's Indeo and Microsoft's RLE codec; both produced much larger video files than Video 1, and Indeo was much harder to decode on entry-level multimedia PCs.[3][14] In addition to shrinking the file size further, its 8-bit mode was also useful for contemporary low-end video hardware, which struggled playing back video files in 24-bit color in real time.[15] As the decade progressed and CPUs became fast enough for advanced codecs such as Cinepak (the license for which Microsoft acquired for its second release of Video for Windows), Microsoft Video 1 became criticized for its prominent macroblocking artifacts which resulted in distorted video.[3][14] By the early 2000s, Microsoft Video 1 was considered archaic by technology professionals.[16]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ It was known internally to Microsoft as MS-CRAM.[1]

References

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  1. ^ "Troubleshooting Video Codecs in Windows 95". Microsoft. November 15, 2006. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  2. ^ Ratcliffe, Mitch, ed. (November 10, 1992). "Microsoft offers digital video". Digital Media. Vol. 2, no. 6. p. 19 et seq. Gale A12976427.
  3. ^ a b c d Ozer, Jan (Spring–Summer 1994). "Video Codecs for Multimedia Applications Are Not Created Equal". Computer Technology Review. West World Publications. p. 88. ProQuest 220614187.
  4. ^ Skibbe, L. J. (1995). Optimizing Your Multimedia PC. IDG Books. ISBN 1568845952 – via the Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Hone, Robert; Margy Kuntz (1994). Making Movies with Your PC. Prima Publishing. ISBN 0679757848 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Wallace, Lou (March 7, 1994). "Compression/decompression standards". InfoWorld. Vol. 16, no. 10. IDG Publications. p. 82 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Wallace, Lou; Patrick Lyons; Ean Houts; Bob Gale (March 7, 1994). "Lights! Camera! Digitize!". InfoWorld. Vol. 16, no. 10. IDG Publications. pp. 70–82 – via the Internet Archive.
  8. ^ Mustafa, Suleiman; Hannan Xiao (December 2015). "Comparison of Cinepak, Intel, Microsoft Video and Indeo Codec for Video Compression" (PDF). The International Journal of Multimedia & Its Applications. 7 (6). AIRCC Publishing Corporation.
  9. ^ Melanson, Mike (March 13, 2003). "Description of the Microsoft Video-1 Decoding Algorithm". Multimedia.cx. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  10. ^ Corcoran, Cate (March 8, 1993). "Chip set eases video storage". InfoWorld. Vol. 15, no. 10. IDG Publications. p. 32 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Bhaskaran, Vasudev; Konstantinos Konstantinides (1995). Image and Video Compression Standards: Algorithms and Architectures. Springer. p. 331. ISBN 9780792395911 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Quain, John R. (April 26, 1994). "Video-Capture Boards". PC Magazine. Vol. 13, no. 8. Ziff-Davis. pp. 215–230.
  13. ^ Wodaski, Ron (1993). PC Video Madness!. Sams Publishing. ISBN 0672303221 – via the Internet Archive.
  14. ^ a b Johnson, Nels; Fred Gault; Mark Florence (1994). How to Digitize Video. Wiley & Sons. p. 282. ISBN 9780471014409 – via the Internet Archive.
  15. ^ Wodaski, Ron (1994). Multimedia Madness. Sams Publishing. p. 727. ISBN 9780672304132 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Waggoner, Ben (2002). Compression for Great Digital Video: Power Tips, Techniques and Common Sense. CMP Books. p. 122. ISBN 9781578201112 – via Google Books.
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