MPEG-4 standard announced

An important step in the rise of Mass Media Art, an important pre-condition for NFTs, according to Casey Reas, in October 1998, the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) announced the MPEG-4 standard, ISO/IEC 14496, following the success of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. This global effort involved hundreds of researchers and engineers, resulting in approval of an International Standard by early 1999. Importantly, the fully backward compatible MPEG-4 Version 2 extensions followed, extending capabilities for digital television, interactive graphics and multimedia applications for the early web. Critical to the rise of Madd Media Art, the standard facilitated the integration of production, distribution and content access. It thus laid the foundation for interactive video, CD-ROMs and digital television and their use in creative expression. Further extensions continued into the upcoming decades, ensuring ongoing advancements in multimedia technology.