The Design Challenges of Full-Motion Video for PC-Computer Systems

The author divides full-motion video applications for PC-computer systems into three subdivisions, according to functionality and application. The issues of the decoding and encoding of composite video signals, and of the keying and overlay of video signals originating from natural sources and signals synthesized by computer graphical means, are discussed as they relate to PC-compatible personal computer systems. The problems presented by the combination of interlaced and non-interlaced video signals, and by the requirements for color space conversion, are reviewed. A brief discussion of compression schemes for the computerized handling of motion video is offered, followed by a review of design issues relating to image processing structures and to Image Capture hardware.