About MPEG
MPEG is the name of a family of file formats specified by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group. MPEG formats include several compression methods. It requires significant processing power and time to generate these keyframe-based file formats from other video formats.
- MPEG‑1
- Generally used for the Internet and CD‑ROM, providing picture quality comparable with VHS quality at quarter-screen frame size.
- MPEG‑2
- Delivers higher quality video than MPEG‑1. A specific form of MPEG‑2 was chosen as the standard for compressing video for DVD video. This is called DVD‑compliant MPEG‑2. MPEG‑2 compression is also used in HDV, and supported in the HD‑DVD, and Blu‑ray formats.
- MPEG‑4
- Includes many of the features of MPEG‑1 and MPEG‑2, and adds support for interactivity. It offers better compression and reduces file size while maintaining the same perceptual quality level as MPEG‑2. MPEG‑4 part 10 (H.264, AVC) is the supported by the Blu‑ray and HD‑DVD formats.
After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro offer a number of MPEG presets to optimize the output quality for various project types. If you’re experienced with MPEG encoding, you can further fine‑tune projects for specific playback situations by customizing the presets in the Export Settings dialog box.
In After Effects, you can create MPEG‑2 and MPEG‑2 DVD video. In Adobe Premiere Pro, you can create various types of MPEG video by using the File > Export > Adobe Media Encoder command or export directly to DVD‑compliant video by using the Export To Encore command (any video you export to DVD is automatically transcoded to MPEG‑2 if it isn’t already in that format).
After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro add metadata
to MPEG‑2 files that Encore can read for aid in authoring and building
DVDs. This metadata contains information that enables Encore to
multiplex audio and video, automatically generate DVD chapter points,
and open clips in the applications from which they were rendered.
For more information, see Encore Help.