MPEG program stream
Program stream is a container format for multiplexing digital audio, video and more. The PS format is specified in MPEG-1 Part 1 and MPEG-2 Part 1, Systems. The MPEG-2 Program Stream is analogous and similar to ISO/IEC 11172 Systems layer and it is forward compatible.
Program streams are used on DVD-Video discs and HD DVD video discs, but with some restrictions and extensions. The filename extensions are VOB and EVO respectively.
Coding structure
Program streams are created by combining one or more Packetized Elementary Streams, which have a common time base, into a single stream. It is designed for reasonably reliable media such as disks, in contrast to MPEG transport stream which is for data transmission in which loss of data is likely. Program streams have variable size records and minimal use of start codes which would make over the air reception difficult, but has less overhead. Program stream coding layer allows only one program of one or more elementary streams to be packaged into a single stream, in contrast to transport stream, which allows multiple programs.MPEG-2 Program stream can contain MPEG-1 Part 2 video, MPEG-2 Part 2 video, MPEG-1 Part 3 audio or MPEG-2 Part 3 audio. It can also contain MPEG-4 Part 2 video, MPEG-2 Part 7 audio or MPEG-4 Part 3 audio, but they are rarely used. The MPEG-2 Program stream has provisions for non-standard data in the form of so-called private streams. International Organization for Standardization authorized SMPTE Registration Authority, LLC as the registration authority for MPEG-2 format identifiers. It publishes list of compression formats which can be encapsulated in MPEG-2 transport stream and program stream.
Coding details
| Name | Number of bits | Description |
| sync bytes | 32 | 0x000001BA |
| marker bits | 2 | 01b for MPEG-2 version. The marker bits for the MPEG-1 version are 4 bits with value 0010b. |
| System clock | 3 | bits 32 to 30 |
| marker bit | 1 | 1 Bit always set. |
| System clock | 15 | System clock bits 29 to 15 |
| marker bit | 1 | 1 Bit always set. |
| System clock | 15 | System clock bits 14 to 0 |
| marker bit | 1 | 1 Bit always set. |
| SCR extension | 9 | |
| marker bit | 1 | 1 Bit always set. |
| bit rate | 22 | In units of 50 bytes per second. |
| marker bits | 2 | 11 Bits always set. |
| reserved | 5 | reserved for future use |
| stuffing length | 3 | |
| stuffing bytes | 8*stuffing length | |
| system header | 0 or more | if system header start code follows: 0x000001BB |
| Name | Number of bytes | Description |
| sync bytes | 4 | 0x000001BB |
| header length | 2 | |
| rate bound and marker bits | 3 | |
| audio bound and flags | 1 | |
| flags, marker bit, and video bound | 1 | |
| Packet rate restriction and reserved byte | 1 |