Media Bitstream Backwards Compatibility via Dual Region-Wise Packing Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media bitstream technologies lack backwards compatibility, particularly in the context of region-wise packing information, which can cause media players supporting older versions to fail when parsing updated bitstreams, leading to potential crashes or incorrect rendering of media content.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating both an original region-wise packing box and an extended version of this box in the bitstream, where the original box provides a simple but valid mapping for older media players and the extended box offers a more compact and advanced representation for newer players, ensuring that both can render the media correctly without errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If an extended region-wise packing box is added to provide more compact representation, then bitrate efficiency is improved, but compatibility with older media players is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bitstream is segmented into multiple boxes: the original region-wise packing box (for backward compatibility) and the extended region-wise packing box (for improved efficiency). Older players can process the original box while newer players can utilize the extended version, resolving the contradiction between compatibility and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The original region-wise packing box acts as an intermediary that maintains compatibility with older players, while the extended box provides enhanced functionality. The presence of the original box mediates between the new efficient format and legacy systems, allowing both to coexist.
2Quantity of substance
If only the extended region-wise packing box is used, then representation compactness is improved, but parsing reliability for older players is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the data structure into two distinct boxes with different levels of complexity. The original box maintains simple, reliable parsing for older players, while the extended box provides compact representation for newer players, eliminating the trade-off between compactness and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the bitstream have different qualities: the original region-wise packing box maintains simple structure for reliability, while the extended box uses compact representation where supported. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between compactness and parsing reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the original region-wise packing box is maintained, then compatibility is improved, but bitrate efficiency is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The solution merges both the original and extended region-wise packing boxes in the same bitstream. This combination allows the system to maintain compatibility through the original box while achieving improved bitrate efficiency through the extended box when supported by the player.
Solution Approach 2:
The bitstream structure becomes universal by incorporating both versions of the region-wise packing box. It can function with older players that only understand the original format and with newer players that can utilize the extended format, achieving multi-functionality that resolves the compatibility-efficiency contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
Providing backward compatibility in terms of a media bitstream and a media player conforming to different versions of a media bitstream syntax specification. In one embodiment, a bitstream is made backward compatible by including in the bitstream a first entry for a feature available in the media bitstream and second entry for an updated feature available in the media bitstream, where the first entry is understood both by a media player supporting a first version of a syntax specification and a media player supporting an updated version of the syntax specification, and the second entry is understood by the media player supporting the updated version of the syntax specification, but is not understood by the media player supporting the first version of the syntax specification.