A software-based real-time MPEG-2 video encoder

Dedicated hardware previously has been required to perform real-time MPEG-2 video encoding. However, with increases in clock frequency and the introduction of video-specific instruction sets, general-purpose processors can now approximate the function and performance of single-function hardware. In this paper, we describe a software-only MPEG-2 (MP@ML) video encoder implemented on a personal computer using an Intel(TM) Pentium(R) III processor. This encoder is capable of real-time operation while consuming less than 70% of the processor. The main contribution of this work is a set of algorithmic simplifications that significantly reduces the computational load of the encoding process while only slightly degrading the subjective video quality compared to encoders that are more exhaustive.