China develops new video coding standard

Citing the expense of licensing the MPEG4 international video standard, 14 Chinese electronics manufacturers, content providers and developers will formalize an alliance in May to promote the cheaper Audio Video Coding Standard (AVS), state media reported. The group seeks to make the home-grown AVS the national standard to define coding, decoding and processing of audio and visual content on devices like computers, mobile phones, TV sets and DVD players. Huang Tiejun, secretary-general of the AVS working group, told China Daily that he expects government approval for the standard.