Video Search and Retrieval: Current Pratice and Future Evolution

The broadcasting industry is currently in the process of embracing digital technology in the whole value chain, from the production and post-production phases, via storage and cataloguing, to delivery to the final user. As a consequence, the amount of video information made available online is globally increasing, and the use of the Internet is creating new services created by or addressed to broadcasters. This evolution requires standard and efficient search and retrieval tools on video databases, which do not exist today. This chapter addresses this issue, focusing on three main topics. First we describe the ATMAN ACTS project, where the new ORDBMS (object-relational database management system) technology has been used to develop a business-to-business service [1] trading AV objects through the Internet and ATM. Then we discuss the advantages of using the standard Z39.50 (search and retrieval) protocol, together with a suitable video profile, when searching and retrieving video metadata. Finally, we address the scope of MPEG-7 and how its definition could influence the future scenario; to this end, focusing on the objective of interoperability, we investigate the integration of MPEG-7 content descriptions with the Z39.50 search and retrieval protocol.