SOLGER, MPEG-2 Non-Linear Editing Software

Abstract

We describe a new non-linear MPEG-2 editing system, for personal use and small business environments. The developed NLE system is based on Microsoft DirectShow components. The NLE system's various functionality are implemented based on common object model as known as COM. The editing shell system SOLGER is named after legendary Korean Painter. Primary purpose of the SOLGER system is manipulating various editing actions. In addition, it acts as DirectShow's filter graph generator and manager. The editing action is composed of simple drag and drop interface and menu driven graphic interface. Numerous special effects and transition effects are implemented as DirectShow filter component. These effects include 55 visual effects, 9 audio special effects, and 6 video transition effects. The visual special effects and the audio special effects could act as stand-alone DirectShow filter, and they could be incorporated to another system. Also, adding new special effect filter to the SOLGER MPEG-2 NLE is straightforward. The editing is done first with preview mode. In preview mode, the NLE system connects MPEG-2 bitstream to DirectShow's filter graph and special effects are rendered to video window and audio soundcards via the filter graph constructed as given GUI. The resulting filter graph can be saved and retrieved from the storage. In make-movie mode, rendered images and sounds are connected to MPEG-2 video encoder and MPEG-1 audio encoder. The bitstreams are stored in the disk storage and concatenated as user desires. The system is implemented in pure software on general-purpose multimedia personal computers. The MPEG-2 bitstream is selected as input and output format, for the future digital broadcasting system shall use MPEG-2 as standard format. As it uses components software as its building block, the system is cost effective, flexible, extensible and reusable. This NLE system provides economic solution to home entertainment family video editing and small business video editing.