Abstract

A video system is disclosed in which a single generic MPEG standard encoder (107) is used to simultaneously code and compress plural different resolution video signals from a single input video signal; and in which a single generic MPEG standard decoder (402) is used to simultaneously decode plural coded and compressed video signals of different resolutions and form a single composite video signal. The coder converts each frame of pixel data of the input video signal into plural frames having different resolutions, which are then combined into a common frame (106) for input to the generic MPEG encoder. The MPEG encoder produces a single coded and compressed output bitstream in slices of microblocks of pixel data, which output bitstream is demultiplexed (108) into separate resolution bitstreams using Slice Start Code identifiers associated with each slice and Macroblock Address Increments associated with the first macroblock in each slice, to properly route each slice to the appropriate output. The decoder processes (405) the slices within the coded and compressed bitstreams of different resolutions received from plural sources using the Slice Start Codes and Macroblock Address Increments of each slice to produce a single composite bitstream of successive slices. By merging the shoes from the plural sources into the composite bitstream in a predetermined manner, the generic MPEG decoder produces a digital output video signal that is a composite of the different resolution input video signals.