Benefits of statistical multiplexing in multi-program broadcasting

Improvements in the bit-rate obtained with statistical multiplexing are obtained through the use of variable bit-rate video compression. On the one hand there is the unconstrained use of variable bit-rate compression, for instance with DVD video. On the other hand there is a constrained form of variable bit-rate compression, referred to as statistical multiplexing, which is used in the case of digital video broadcasting. The greatest improvement can be obtained with unconstrained variable bit-rate compression. In this paper we analyze how far off we are with statistically multiplexed video signals from this ideal situation. In the analysis we find that statistical multiplexing already can be useful with two video signals or more. We also discuss the complexity involved in realizing statistical multiplexing.