The MPEG Reconfigurable Video Coding initiative, RVC, aims to provide a framework allowing dynamic development, implementation and adoption of standardized video coding solutions with features of higher flexibility and reusability. RVC is motivated by the recognition that standards frameworks need to evolve in order to efficiently support multiple codec configurations and to facilitate innovation in codec design.

MPEG RVC is developing two standards, Codec Configuration Representation (ISO/IEC 23001-4)  and Video Tool Library (ISO/IEC 23002-4), due for completion in 2008/09. The Video Tool Library specifies a set of Functional Units (FUs), “building blocks” for video decoders, such as transforms, motion compensators and entropy decoders. The structure of a video decoder (composed of selected FUs and their interconnections) is defined by a Decoder Description Language (DDL) and the format of the coded bitstream is defined using Bitstream Syntax Description Language (BSDL), both specified in the Codec Configuration Representation standard.

The following Figure illustrates a typical RVC decoding scenario. In order to decode a video bitstream, the decoder needs to know (a) how to parse the bitstream and extract the coded data elements and (b) how to decode these elements. The RVC decoding engine receives BSDL and DDL specifications in compressed form. The decoder composition module generates a decoding solution (an actual video decoder) based on the BSDL and DDL specifications. It makes use of selected FUs from the Video Tool Library and connects these according to the DDL. Once the decoding solution has been generated, it can then decode the video bitstream.

For more information:  White paper on MPEG RVC