Distributed Multimedia Database Technologies Supported ...

The only book so far on MPEG and distributed multimedia databases:
This book is a very academic one about the technologies, concepts, and tools necessary for the design and use of distributed content-based multimedia systems. SQL/MM is an international standards effort to extend SQL to support multimedia applications, including access and manipulation of geographic data. MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 are, respectively, about the indexing/retrieval and distribution of multimedia objects. This book focuses on combining these standard technologies to produce functional and scalable distributed multimedia databases. Chapter one introduces and focuses on the principles of multimedia data and metadata. Chapter 2 is dedicated to MPEG-7 supported with high-level examples of its use. Likewise, Chapter 3 introduces MPEG-21 and gives high-level examples of its use. From MPEG-7 comes the description of modern multimedia database management systems in chapter 4. Similarly, from MPEG-21 and multimedia databases come the concept of the distributed multimedia systems dealt with in chapter 5. Chapter 6 concludes the book and gives a final global view of a distribution system using these technologies. This book discusses these technologies at a very high level, since almost none of the concepts discussed in this book have yet been implemented. Currently, it really is the only published work on the subject of distributed multimedia databases and the MPEG technologies, and it is well-written and clear even if somewhat dry. It has an excellent bibliography and references a multitude of web addresses where more information can be found. I would recommend it if you are doing research on the subject, but not if you are looking for practical solutions and examples, since none yet exist.