What Is the Definition of a MPG File?

MPG (or MPEG) is a format created by the Moving Picture Experts Group for video and audio transmission. This format is one of the most common formats for video on computers and other devices.

Identification

1. MPEG files often have the file extension ".mpg", hence the term "MPG file". From time to time, there are also MPEG files that occupy the full four-letter extension ".mpeg".

History

2. In 1988, the Moving Picture Experts Group met to discuss a new protocol for video encoding and decoding that would change the way that broadcasters emit video signals. MPEG became officially known to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29 WG11.

Benefits

3. MPEG benefits from less complex decoding than encoding. For broadcasters, this is an excellent solution, since decoding is cheaper, allowing broadcasts to be more efficiently transmitted.

Types

4. The main types of MPG formats are MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. MPEG-2 is an example of a type of MPG format that is often used in television broadcasts and DVD disks.

Features

5. MPG is known as an asymmetrically compressed format. The term "asymmetric" is used because the encoding process is much more complex than the decoding process. The decoding process is standardized, so all versions of the MPEG format follow the same rules.