Profiles and Levels
Similar to other video codecs, profiles specify the syntax (i.e., algorithms) and levels specify various parameters (resolution, frame rate, bit-rate, etc.). The various levels are described in Table 7.12.
Table 7.12. MPEG-4.10 (H.264) Levels. “MB”=macroblock, “MV”=motion vector
| Level | Maximum MB per Second | Maximum Frame Size (MB) | Typical Frame Resolution | Typical Frames per Second | Maximum MVs per Two Consecutive MBs | Maximum Reference Frames | Maximum Bit-Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,485 | 99 | 176×144 | 15 | – | 4 | 64 kbps |
| 1.1 | 3,000 | 396 | 176×144 | 30 | – | 9 | 192 kbps |
| 320×240 | 10 | 3 | |||||
| 352×288 | 7.5 | 3 | |||||
| 1.2 | 6,000 | 396 | 352×288 | 15 | – | 6 | 384 kbps |
| 1.3 | 11,880 | 396 | 352×288 | 30 | – | 6 | 768 kbps |
| 2 | 11,880 | 396 | 352×288 | 30 | – | 6 | 2 Mbps |
| 2.1 | 19,800 | 792 | 352×480 | 30 | – | 6 | 4 Mbps |
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