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The Internet could soon carry pay-per-view special events, thanks to the
newly ratified MPEG-4 video compression standard. Because MPEG-4 codes the
background and foreground of video images separately, Dutch electronics giant
Philips says Net viewers can be given a taste of an event by showing only the
background, for example, an overall view of a sports pitch or concert stage
minus the players or pop star. They must pay to see the rest.