This MPEG-7 group has produced new Requirements and Applications documents, and has started work on a Call for Proposals, that will be issued in Fall '98. Also, some preliminary work was done on MPEG-4 Version 2. Version 2 will not replace, but rather extend what is in MPEG-4 Version 1, by adding new profiles. Version 2 will follow Version 1 will all phases shifted one year in time. The MPEG-4 standard as it is currently defined in the 'CDs' makes it possible to integrate natural and synthetic audio, 'classic' rectangular video and moving video 'objects' with an arbitrary shape, animated faces and animated 2D meshes with several kinds of textures.
Scalability is built into all the tools.
Interlaced as well as progressive content are supported. The Systems layer allows complex 'scenes' to be created, from the classical rectangular video with sound to virtual environments. A number of profiles have been defined for the Audio, Visual and Systems parts. These profiles define tool subsets that cater for a large class of applications. Consensus on how to identify the existence of Intellectual Property Rights on audiovisual content in MPEG-4 was reached between technical experts and representatives from several content industries, resulting in an optional 'Intellectual Property Identification' dataset that can be attached to audiovisual objects.