Sustainability of Digital Formats
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Identification and description

Full name	Information technology -- Coding of audio-visual objects (formal name)MPEG-4, Visual Coding, Simple Studio Profile
Description	See also MP4_FF_2 and MPEG-4_V. Offers very high quality for studio editing applications.1 The Simple Studio Profile permits the use of the following visual object types: • Simple studio: arbitrarily shaped video, uses intra (I) video object planes (VOPs, the MPEG-4 term for frames) only. This type differs from the MPEG-4 simple object type and has syntax closer to MPEG-2 to permit easy transcoding and does not permit the use of predicted (P) VOPs. Four compression levels are permitted, with bit rates from 180 to 1,800 Mbps.
Production phase	Generally an initial- or middle-state format, used in video production.
Relationship to other formats
Subtype of	MPEG-4_V, MPEG-4, Visual Coding (Part 2)
Used by	MP4_FF_2_V, MPEG-4 File Format, V.2, with Visual Coding (All Profiles)

Local use

LC experience or existing holdings
LC preference

Sustainability factors

Disclosure	Open standard. See MP4_FF_2.
Documentation	See MP4_FF_2.
Adoption	Actual adoption not known to the compilers of this document.
Licensing and patents	See MP4_FF_2.
Transparency	See MP4_FF_2.
Self-documentation	See MP4_FF_2.
External dependencies	See MP4_FF_2.
Technical protection considerations	See MP4_FF_2.

Quality and functionality factors

Moving Image
Normal rendering	Good support.
Clarity (high image resolution)	See MPEG-4 and MPEG-4_V. Potential for greater clarity at a given picture size, data rate, and encoding algorithm, than most other MPEG-4 profiles, e.g., Simple, Simple Scalable, Advanced Simple, Core, and Main Profiles.
Functionality beyond normal rendering	See MPEG-4.

File type signifiers

Tag	Value	Note
Filename extension	mp4
Internet Media Type	See note	See MP4_FF_2
Magic numbers	See note	See MP4_FF_2
File type brand (ISO Base Media File Format)	See note	Indicated in file wrapper and relates to "brands" defined in ISO_BMFF. Wrapping MPEG-4_V bitstreams in MP4_FF_1 would occasion the use of mp41; in MP4_FF_2, use mp42. See Part 15 of the standard, pp. 2-9, 13.
Other	11100001, 11100010, 1110011, 11100100	Profile and level indicators. For profile_and_level_indication for Simple Studio Profile, levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. From Annex G of Part 2 of the standard, as amended Amd.2:2002, pp. 52-53.

Notes

General
History

Format specifications

• See MP4_FF_2.

Useful references

Books, articles, etc.

• See MP4_FF_2.