MPEG-2 is used in Digital Video Broadcast and Digital Versatile Discs. The MPEG transport stream, TS, and MPEG program stream, PS, are container formats.

MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information".^[1] It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth.

Main characteristics[link]

MPEG-2 is widely used as the format of digital television signals that are broadcast by terrestrial (over-the-air), cable, and direct broadcast satellite TV systems. It also specifies the format of movies and other programs that are distributed on DVD and similar discs. TV stations, TV receivers, DVD players, and other equipment are often designed to this standard. MPEG-2 was the second of several standards developed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) and is an international standard (ISO/IEC 13818). Parts 1 and 2 of MPEG-2 were developed in a collaboration with ITU-T, and they have a respective catalog number in the ITU-T Recommendation Series.

While MPEG-2 is the core of most digital television and DVD formats, it does not completely specify them. Regional institutions can adapt it to their needs by restricting and augmenting aspects of the standard. See Video profiles and levels.

Systems[link]

MPEG-2 includes a Systems section, part 1, that defines two distinct, but related, container formats. One is the MPEG transport stream, designed to carry digital video and audio over possibly lossy media, where the beginning and the end of the stream may not be identified, such as broadcasting or magnetic tape, examples of which include ATSC/DVB/ISDB/SBTVD broadcasting, and HDV recording on tape. MPEG-2 Systems also defines the MPEG program stream, a container format designed for file-based media such as hard disk drives, optical discs and flash memory.

MPEG-2 Systems is formally known as ISO/IEC 13818-1 and as ITU-T Rec. H.222.0.^[2][3] ISO authorized the "SMPTE Registration Authority, LLC" as the registration authority for MPEG-2 format identifiers. The registration descriptor of MPEG-2 transport is provided by ISO 13818-1 in order to enable users of the standard to unambiguously carry data when its format is not necessarily a recognized international standard. This provision will permit the MPEG-2 transport standard to carry all types of data while providing for a method of unambiguous identification of the characteristics of the underlying private data.^[4]

Video[link]

The Video section, part 2 of MPEG-2, is similar to the previous MPEG-1 standard, but also provides support for interlaced video, the format used by analog broadcast TV systems. MPEG-2 video is not optimized for low bit-rates, especially less than 1 Mbit/s at standard definition resolutions. All standards-compliant MPEG-2 Video decoders are fully capable of playing back MPEG-1 Video streams conforming to the Constrained Parameters Bitstream syntax. MPEG-2/Video is formally known as ISO/IEC 13818-2 and as ITU-T Rec. H.262.^[5]

With some enhancements, MPEG-2 Video and Systems are also used in some HDTV transmission systems.

Audio[link]

MPEG-2 introduces new audio encoding methods compared to MPEG-1:^[6]

MPEG-2 Part 3[link]

The MPEG-2 Audio section, defined in Part 3 (ISO/IEC 13818-3) of the standard, enhances MPEG-1's audio by allowing the coding of audio programs with more than two channels, up to 5.1 multichannel. This method is backwards-compatible (also known as MPEG-2 BC^{[7][8][9][10]}), allowing MPEG-1 audio decoders to decode the two main stereo components of the presentation.^[11] MPEG-2 part 3 also defined additional bit rates and sample rates for MPEG-1 Audio Layer I, II and III.^[12]

MPEG-2 BC (backward compatible with MPEG-1 audio formats)^[7][8][11]

• low bitrate encoding with halved sampling rate (MPEG-1 Layer 1/2/3 LSF - a.k.a. MPEG-2 LSF - "Low Sampling Frequencies")
• multichannel encoding with up to 5.1 channels, a.k.a. MPEG Multichannel

MPEG-2 Part 7[link]

Part 7 (ISO/IEC 13818-7) of the MPEG-2 standard specifies a rather different, non-backwards-compatible audio format^[9] (also known as MPEG-2 NBC^[7][8][13]). Part 7 is referred to as MPEG-2 AAC. AAC is more efficient than the previous MPEG audio standards, and is in some ways less complicated than its predecessor, MPEG-1 Audio, Layer 3, in that it does not have the hybrid filter bank. It supports from 1 to 48 channels at sampling rates of 8 to 96 kHz, with multichannel, multilingual, and multiprogram capabilities.^[6] Advanced Audio is also defined in Part 3 of the MPEG-4 standard.

MPEG-2 NBC (Non-Backward Compatible)^[7][8]

• MPEG-2 AAC
• multichannel encoding with up to 48 channels

ISO/IEC 13818[link]

MPEG-2 standards were published as parts of ISO/IEC 13818. Each part covers a certain aspect of the whole specification.

Part 1

Systems – describes synchronization and multiplexing of video and audio. (It is also known as ITU-T Rec. H.222.0.^[2]) See MPEG transport stream and MPEG program stream.

Part 2

Video – compression codec for interlaced and non-interlaced video signals (Also known as ITU-T Rec. H.262).

Part 3

Audio – compression codec for perceptual coding of audio signals. A multichannel-enabled extension and extension of bit rates and sample rates for MPEG-1 Audio Layer I, II and III of MPEG-1 audio.

Part 4

Describes procedures for testing compliance.

Part 5

Describes systems for Software simulation.

Part 6

Describes extensions for DSM-CC (Digital Storage Media Command and Control).

Part 7

Advanced Audio Coding (AAC).

Part 9

Extension for real time interfaces.

Part 10

Conformance extensions for DSM-CC.

Part 11

Intellectual property management (IPMP)

(Part 8: 10-bit video extension. Primary application was studio video. Part 8 has been withdrawn due to lack of interest by industry.)

History[link]

MPEG-2 evolved out of the shortcomings of MPEG-1.

MPEG-1's known weaknesses:

• an audio compression system limited to two channels (stereo.)
• no standardized support for interlaced video with poor compression when used for interlaced video
• only one standardized "profile" (Constrained Parameters Bitstream) which was unsuited for higher resolution video. MPEG-1 could support 4k video but there was no easy way to encode video for higher resolutions, and identify hardware capable of supporting it, as the limitations of such hardware were not defined.
• Support for only one color space, 4:2:0.

This section requires expansion.

Filename extensions[link]

.mpg, .mpeg, .m2v, .mp2, mp3 are some of a number of filename extensions used for MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio and video file formats.

Applications[link]

DVD-Video[link]

The DVD-Video standard uses MPEG-2 video, but imposes some restrictions:

• Allowed Dimensions
  • 720 × 480, 704 × 480, 352 × 480, 352 × 240 pixel (NTSC)
  • 720 × 576, 704 × 576, 352 × 576, 352 × 288 pixel (PAL)
• Allowed Aspect ratios (Display AR)
  • 4:3
  • 16:9 (1.85:1 and 2.35:1, among others, are often listed as valid DVD aspect ratios, but are actually a "letterboxed" 16:9 image)
• Allowed Frame rates
  • 29.97 frame/s (NTSC)
  • 25 frame/s (PAL)

Note: By using a pattern of REPEAT_FIRST_FIELD flags on the headers of encoded pictures, pictures can be displayed for either two or three fields and almost any picture display rate (minimum ⅔ of the frame rate) can be achieved. This is most often used to display 23.976 (approximately film rate) video on NTSC.

• Audio+video bitrate
  • Video peak 9.8 Mbit/s
  • Total peak 10.08 Mbit/s
  • Minimum 300 kbit/s
• YUV 4:2:0
• Additional subtitles possible
• Closed captioning (NTSC only)
• Audio
  • Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM): 48 kHz or 96 kHz; 16- or 24-bit; up to six channels (not all combinations possible due to bitrate constraints)
  • MPEG Layer 2 (MP2): 48 kHz, up to 5.1 channels (required in PAL players only)
  • Dolby Digital (DD, also known as AC-3): 48 kHz, 32–448 kbit/s, up to 5.1 channels
  • Digital Theater Systems (DTS): 754 kbit/s or 1510 kbit/s (not required for DVD player compliance)
  • NTSC DVDs must contain at least one LPCM or Dolby Digital audio track.
  • PAL DVDs must contain at least one MPEG Layer 2, LPCM, or Dolby Digital audio track.
  • Players are not required to play back audio with more than two channels, but must be able to downmix multichannel audio to two channels.
• GOP structure (Group Of Pictures)
  • Sequence header must be present at the beginning of every GOP
  • Maximum frames per GOP: 18 (NTSC) / 15 (PAL), i.e. 0.6 seconds both
  • Closed GOP required for multi-angle DVDs

HDV[link]

HDV is a format for recording and playback of high-definition MPEG-2 video on a DV cassette tape.

MOD and TOD[link]

MOD and TOD are recording formats for use in consumer digital file-based camcorders.

XDCAM[link]

XDCAM is a professional file-based video recording format.

DVB[link]

Application-specific restrictions on MPEG-2 video in the DVB standard:

Allowed resolutions for SDTV:

• 720, 640, 544, 528, 480 or 352 × 480 pixel, 24/1.001, 24, 30/1.001 or 30 frame/s
• 352 × 240 pixel, 24/1.001, 24, 30/1.001 or 30 frame/s
• 720, 704, 544, 528, 480 or 352 × 576 pixel, 25 frame/s
• 352 × 288 pixel, 25 frame/s

For HDTV:

• 720 x 576 x 50 frame/s progressive (576p50)
• 1280 x 720 x 25 or 50 frame/s progressive (720p50)
• 1440 or 1920 x 1080 x 25 frame/s progressive (1080p25 = film mode)
• 1440 or 1920 x 1080 x 25 frame/s interlace (1080i50)

ATSC[link]

The ATSC A/53 standard used in the United States, uses MPEG-2 video at the Main Profile @ High Level, with additional restrictions such as the maximum bitrate of 19.4 Mbit/s for broadcast television and 38.8 Mbit/s for cable television, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling format, and mandatory colorimetry information.

ATSC allows the following video resolutions, aspect ratios, and frame/field rates:

• 1920 × 1080 pixel (16:9, square pixels), at 30p, 29.97p, 24p, 23.976p, 60i, 59.94i.
• 1280 × 720 pixel (16:9, square pixels), at 60p, 59.94p, 30p, 29.97p, 24p, or 23.976p
• 704 × 480 pixel (4:3 or 16:9, non-square pixels), at 60p, 59.94p, 30p, 29.97p, 24p, 23.976p, 60i, or 59.94i
• 640 × 480 pixel (4:3, square pixels), at 60p, 59.94p, 30p, 29.97p, 24p, 23.976p, 60i, or 59.94i

ATSC standard A/63 defines additional resolutions and aspect rates for 50 Hz (PAL) signal.

The ATSC specification and MPEG-2 allow the use of progressive frames, even within an interlaced video sequence. For example, a station that transmits 1080i60 video sequence can use a coding method where those 60 fields are coded with 24 progressive frames and metadata instructs the decoder to interlace them and perform 3:2 pulldown before display. This allows broadcasters to switch between 60 Hz interlaced (news, soap operas) and 24 Hz progressive (prime-time) content without ending the MPEG-2 sequence and introducing a several seconds of delay as the TV switches formats. This is the reason why 1080p30 and 1080p24 sequences allowed by the ATSC specification are not used in practice.

The 1080-line formats are encoded with 1920 × 1088 pixel luma matrices and 960 × 540 chroma matrices, but the last 8 lines are discarded by the MPEG-2 decoding and display process.

ATSC A/72 is the newest revision of ATSC standards for digital television which allows the use of H.264/AVC codec and 1080p60 signal.

MPEG-2 audio was a contender for the ATSC standard during the DTV "Grand Alliance" shootout, but lost out to Dolby AC-3.

ISDB-T[link]

Technical features of MPEG-2 in ATSC are also valid for ISDB-T, except that in the main TS has aggregated a second program for mobile devices compressed in MPEG-4 H.264 AVC for video and AAC-LC for audio, mainly known as 1seg.

Patent holders[link]

MPEG Licensing Authority, a private patent licensing organization, has acquired rights from over 20 corporations and one university to license a patent pool of approximately 640 worldwide patents, which it claims are the "essential" to use of MPEG-2 technology, although many of the patents have since expired.^[33][34] Where software patentability is upheld, the use of MPEG-2 requires the payment of licensing fees to the patent holders. Other patents are licensed by Audio MPEG, Inc.^[35] The development of the standard itself took less time than the patent negotiations.^[36][37] Patent pooling between essential and peripheral patent holders in the MPEG-2 pool is the subject of a study by the University of Wisconsin.^[38]

MPEG-2 patents (U.S. only)[link]

According to the MPEG-LA Licensing Agreement MPEG-LA, any use of MPEG-2 technology is subject to royalties.

• Encoders are subject to a royalty of $2.00 per unit.
• Decoders are subject to a royalty of $2.00 per unit.^[39]
• Royalty-based sales of encoders and decoders are subject to different rules and $2.50 per unit.^[39]
• Also, any packaged medium (DVDs/Data Streams) is subject to licence fees according to length of recording/broadcast.

In the case of free software such as VLC media player (which uses the ffmpeg library) and in which the software is not sold, the end-user bears the royalty.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• MPEG encoding
• MPEG-1 Audio Layer II (MP2)
• MPEG-1 Audio Layer III (MP3)
• DVD
• DVB-S2

References[link]

External links[link]

• A Beginners Guide for MPEG-2 Standard
• MPEG-2 Overview (figures are lost)
• MPEG-2 video compression
• MIT 6.344 – Slides from lectures on video compression at MIT.
• A Discrete Cosine Transform tutorial
• IPTV MPEG and Quality of Experience Testing
• OpenIPMP: Open Source DRM Project for MPEG-2
• ISO/IEC 13818 – MPEG-2 at the ISO Store.
• MPEG Books - A list of MPEG reference books.

Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan at Live Nation's Nextfest concert in Irvine, California, July 2007
Background information
Birth name	Bianca Taylor Ryan
Born	(1994-09-01) September 1, 1994 (age 17)
Origin	Philadelphia, U.S.
Genres	Gospel, pop, R&B, Christmas music
Occupations	Singer, guitarist, pianist, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Years active	2006–present
Labels	SYCO Music/Columbia Records (2006-2008) Music Forever (2008-2009) Tuned In Music (2009-present)
Website	biancaryan.com

Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American singer and guitarist, who won the debut season of NBC's America's Got Talent at age 11.^[1]

Ryan's self-titled first CD was recorded just after her 12th birthday and released on November 14, 2006; Bianca Ryan broke into the Billboard 200 at #57.^[2] One month later, the EP Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional giveaway.

She has since performed in such countries as Australia and Switzerland.^[3] Her first concert tour took her across the United States as the "special guest" artist for Live Nation's Nextfest.^[4]

Personal life[link]

Bianca is the second of four children of Shawn and Janette Ryan. Her father, a fan of the Rolling Stones, named her after Mick Jagger's ex-wife. Bianca has an older brother, Shawn, and two younger siblings, Isabella and Jagger.^[5] Bianca comes from a diverse ethnic family: Irish, German, and Italian ancestry from her father's side and her maternal grandmother is Japanese.^[6][7]

For the 2006–2007 academic year, Ryan was a sixth-grader. "I'm in school most of the time," she said, "and keep up on my work when I have to go on the road."

Just before the release of her CD, Ryan's grandmother, Marie Ryan, who had struggled with Alzheimer's disease for five years, died.^[8] The following week, Mayor John F. Street proclaimed November 13 "Bianca Ryan Day" in Philadelphia and presented Ryan with a key to the city.^[9]

[edit] America's Got Talent (2006)

	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" noicon 11-year-old Bianca Ryan auditions for America's Got Talent (Season 1), belting out a Broadway show tune to a rousing ovation.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

While searching the Internet for auditions early in 2006, Ryan discovered that Idol judge Simon Cowell was serving as executive producer for an upcoming competition titled America's Got Talent. For her audition appearance, she chose the Dreamgirls showtune "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (originally performed by Jennifer Holliday), surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice. Simon Cowell was so moved after seeing her performance that he announced during a press conference that, "Bianca Ryan is potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life."^[10]

By March 2006, a copy of Ryan's audition had climbed into the 100 "Top Rated (All Time) in Music" videos at YouTube.^[11]

For the semi-finals of the show Bianca performed "Piece of My Heart" made famous by Janis Joplin. Although the judges loved the performance they didn't think the song was right for her. America's Got Talent's finale results aired on August 17, 2006, during which Bianca was announced as the winner of the first season of the show.

Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's second season finale. In a video recorded during the Nextfest tour, she wished "the best of luck" to the top two finalists.^[12]

Career[link]

On August 24, 2006, Ryan announced on her website that she had flown to New York to meet with representatives from a "major record label" and some of the recording industry's top songwriters.^[13] The Northeast Times reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster and was being managed by Peter Rudge.^[14]

On September 18, 2006, Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records.^[13] Ryan is the first U.S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic.^[15]

The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles to record her first CD, featuring cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day".

Bianca Ryan was released on November 14, 2006; eight days later, the album broke in at #57 on the Billboard album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm," wrote Matt Collar of Allmusic. Though he called the arrangements "somewhat over-the-top pop creations" and "grandiose given Ryan's age, her musical aspirations are more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent".^[16] Los Angeles Daily News reviewer Sandra Barrera said that Bianca handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is".^[17]

The following year, she released the single "That's Not Me" on August 7, 2007.^[18] In 2008, she left SYCO/Columbia Records and released her second holiday EP, True Meaning of Christmas on November 3, 2009 on the indie Music Forever label.^[19]

In 2010, Ryan recorded a song inspired by Twilight: New Moon called "In My Head."^[20] The single was released digitally on August 21, 2010 through the indie label, Tuned In Music and Media.^[21]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

EPs[link]

Singles[link]

Filmography[link]

Feature films[link]

Other[link]

Television[link]

• Star Search
• Showtime at the Apollo
• The Tom Joyner Show
• America's Got Talent – six appearances (June 28, July 26, July 27, August 16, August 17, 2006, and August 21, 2007)
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show – two appearances (September 13 and November 16, 2006)
• The CW Morning Show – November 16, 2006
• Today – November 16, 2006
• The Oprah Winfrey Show – November 5, 2006
• Martha – November 20, 2006
• Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade – December 25, 2006
• 49th Pepsi 400 (from Daytona International Speedway), July 7, 2007

References[link]

Footnotes[link]

Press[link]

• Associated Press (August 17, 2006). "Pa. Girl Wins America's Got Talent". abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2327782. Retrieved 2006-12-16. ^{[dead link]}
• Sanner, Ann (December 10, 2006). "Bushes Join 'Dr. Phil' at Christmas Show". Associated Press. abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2715163. Retrieved 2006-12-16. ^{[dead link]}

External links[link]

Philadelphia portal

• Official website
• Bianca Ryan at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2010)

American Dragon: Jake Long is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It premiered on Disney Channel January 21, 2005 and became discontinued on September 1, 2007.^[1] The show currently airs on Disney XD in the United States. In the United Kingdom it originally aired on Disney Channel, but has now moved to Disney XD and airs on Disney Channel in Australia and Mexico.

Premise[link]

Set in New York City (specifically the borough of Manhattan), this animated series tells the story of thirteen-year-old Jake Long who must balance ordinary adolescent transformation with the amazing power and ability to change into the form of a dragon. When he eventually unlocks his full potential and turns into the American Dragon, he will overcome obstacles to protect the magical creatures living in the city, but as his ordinary self, Jake Long can't conquer his crush on pretty blond schoolmate Rose who, unbeknownst to Jake, has an amazing dark secret of her own. She's a natural dragon slayer named Huntsgirl. Jake navigates the city with fellow skateboarders Trixie Carter and Arthur P. Spuddinski (A.K.A Spud), and when he gets home, it's to an extended family: a businessman dad originally from the Midwest who doesn't know he's married into a family of dragons, Jake's Chinese mom, his grandfather (who recently immigrated to train his grandson in the ways of the ancient dragon), younger seven-year-old sister Haley (a nascent dragon) and Grandpa's gruff sidekick, a magical Shar-Pei named Fu Dog.

Production[link]

American Dragon: Jake Long was created by Jeff Goode. The Walt Disney Company ordered an initial twenty-one 30 minute episodes for the first season, all of which have been made. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Disney Channel January 4, 2005, in the United States on The Disney Channel on January 21, 2005, and on Toon Disney on February 2006. It has also been broadcast on Family in Canada as well as on the Seven Network in Australia. It is still being aired on Disney Channel Latin America from Monday to Friday on the animated block and Saturdays and Sundays after The Wonderful World of Disney. The show will be syndicated on Toon Disney's successor Disney XD.

Characters[link]

Main characters[link]

• Jacob "Jake" Luke Long (Voiced by Dante Basco): Jake is a proud and lazy yet kind and loyal thirteen-year-old (fourteen years old in the second season) skateboarder who is, in secret, a dragon. He uses his duties as a dragon to help defend the underground magical world of New York City, while continuing his training into becoming the first American Dragon. He's initially a very big show off and lacks in his responsibilities, but when it really matters, he always displays a strong sense of responsibility and maturity. Jake is famous for being the second dragon to survive an encounter with the Dark Dragon and the first to do so twice. Due to this and his other adventures, Jake becomes a popular and well-known figure in the magical world. His catchphrase is "Awww Man". By the end of the series, Jake graduates from Millard Fillmore Middle School and he is dating Rose, whom he has really strong romantic feelings for.

• Luong Lao Shi "Grandpa" (Voiced by Keone Young): Lao, as Jake and Haley's Chinese Dragon maternal grandfather, is a Dragon Master who teaches Jake the necessary skills in becoming a protector of magical creatures. Lao has reluctantly supported Susan's relationship with Jonathan, often calling him "daughter's husband." The two eventually work out their major differences during a family reunion. He runs the Canal Street Electronics shop, which is infamous for never having any customers (the shop's slogan is "Never had a customer, never had a sale"). Nonetheless, Lao has an intense rivalry with another electronics store. Regardless, his store is the main headquarters for all magical operations. His friend Fu Dog is his guardian who can create magical potions to assist in these missions. Lao's attempts at training Jake can, at times, cause more damage than help. However, Jake learns and puts into use the skills that are essential in becoming the American Dragon. He is the first dragon to mentor a blood relative – a break from tradition that he insisted on should Jake ever have to face the Dark Dragon. Lao is actually the first dragon to face the Dark Dragon and survive. According to Fu, Lao was very laid back (much like Jake had originally been) before this encounter, but matured immensely after defeating him. The name, Luong Lao Shi, appears to be a Romanized translation of the Chinese words for "dragon" and "teacher".

• Fu Dog (Voiced by John DiMaggio): Fu is a six hundred-year-old talking Shar Pei and Lao's only companion, who speaks with a Brooklyn accent. The two actually met when Fu was a petty thief, but (with much insistence from Fu) the two became a team shortly before Lao's first encounter with the Dark Dragon. Like many magical animals, Fu is able to walk upright, and has no trouble using his front paws as hands despite the apparent absence of opposable thumbs. He is highly skilled at brewing potions and casting spells, which constantly proves to be an asset. Despite his age, he frequently keeps up-to-date with current trends and events that will occasionally put him at odds with Lao Shi. He is somewhat lecherous, and is infamous for constantly gambling and placing bets on Jake in battles (bets that often change depending on how the battle is going); he owes an immense amount of money to many magical beings as a result.

• Arthur P. "Spud" Spudinski (Voiced by Charlie Finn): Spud is one of Jake's best human friends. Though often appearing to be slow-witted, he is actually a genius. He just preferred to keep it a secret to avoid the related pressure, but the truth came out in the second season, and he found it wasn't so bad that everyone knew. He owns a laptop computer that sports surveillance capabilities and other functions that assist him in the field. His philosophy is that he believes that all play and no work is just as bad as all work and no play and he wants to be the medium. He apparently has magical potential and may have a wizard heritage (e.g. being able to use Panderis' wand, his grandfather knowing how to seal away the genie in Taranushis Chalice and his grandfather also telling him stories about the mermaid city). In "Something Fishy This Way Comes," it is revealed that he has a fascination with the advanced mermaid city. In the episode, "Homecoming," after questions over being more than just friends, he and Trixie finally decide they are only "just friends" on a strictly platonic, friendly level and nothing more.

• Trixie Carter (Voiced by Miss Kittie): As one of Jake's human best friends, she is sassy, vivacious and is a judgmental character. Of the three friends, Trixie is usually the most level-headed and responsible. She is a fashion enthusiast. Her father being a pilot gives her access to fashions from overseas, but she usually prefers her regular clothes. In the situation of Jake and Rose's relationship, Trixie has always shown a dislike and distrust towards Rose advising Jake to be wary around her. But over time, she started to be more supportive of their relationship, and even tried to help Jake move on once she was gone.

• Haley Kay Long (Voiced by Amy Bruckner): Haley is Jake's seven-year-old younger (eight years old in the second season) sister, who is quite intelligent, talented, a bit of a perfectionist, and a goody-two-shoes (much to Jake's consistent annoyance). Haley goes to a school for advanced youths and actually tries hard to succeed. She is also quick to point out Jake's faults and make herself look superior to him. Yet, deep down, she looks up to him. Unlike Jake, she began developing her dragon powers at an earlier age. In the first season she is a purple dragon, in the second season she is pink. As his sister, she is actually next in line to be the American Dragon. Her mentor is Sun Park, though her training is quite different from Jake's. In "Being Human," Jake purposely gets a one week suspension from his dragon duties, so Haley became his replacement. Though thinking she's up to the task, she quickly realizes how hard Jake has to work and how much pressure it creates. Nonetheless, Sun praises Haley's service and feels she can start pitching in to help Jake.

• Rose/Huntsgirl (Voiced by Mae Whitman): Rose is Jake's huge crush and is also part of the Huntsclan, a clan that wants to destroy magical creatures, like Jake as a dragon. Rose is the Huntsgirl and needs to kill the American dragon to become part of the Huntsclan. Rose has a Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her hand to show that she is part of the Huntsclan, which was revealed in the episode The Ski Trip, when Jake realizes that Huntsgirl and Rose is the same person with the same tattoo, he disappointingly dumps her at the end of the episode. Later on in the series, Rose finds out that Jake is the American Dragon, and since then, she starts helping him, but still trying to show that she still "hates" him. In the episode, Dreamscape, Rose finds out that she has a mother, a father, and an unnamed identical twin sister but she was taken away by the Huntsclan because she has the Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her left wrist and hand, which is referred to as "the Mark of the Huntsclan." Throughout the entire series, she develops very strong romantic feelings for Jake, despite him being a dragon, and later, works as a double-agent because of them.

In order to protect her true romantic love, Jake, she destroys all of the Huntsclan though it will kill her as well, but Jake is able to save her and make it so she never was taken as a baby. As a result she loses her memory of him and moves to Hong Kong,China, with her parents. But in the series finale,"Hong Kong Longs," after seeing a photo of them at a dance with their arms around each other, part of her memory returns, and she aids Jake against the Dark Dragon, and the two apparently get back together and begin to date as a couple.

Recurring characters[link]

• Jonathan Long (Jeff Bennett): As Jake and Haley's well-meaning American father, he's a normal human who has no clue that he's married into a whole family of magical and mystical fire-breathing dragons. Though often near feats of magic, he either mistakes them for something else or is completely oblivious to them. (In one occurrence, he chalked up Haley's brief Krylock mutation to an allergic reaction to chocolate.) He has a sister. Though Jonathan often comes off as naive or goofy, it has been shown he always has his family's best interests at heart and that some of Jake's best qualities were inherited from him. Jonathan fought the Jersey Devil (mistaking it for a bear) and vampires (who were masquerading as humans) to protect Jake from harm. Even though his last name is also a valid Chinese surname, Jonathan does not appear to be of Chinese ancestry. He does, however, feel that he is because he claims to be 1/16 Navajo – rationalizing that Native Americans came to the continent on land bridges connected to Asia. In the series finale, he sees Haley's dragon form and finally learns the truth. While initially overwhelmed and full of questions, he is also completely accepting, noting that he always felt there was something magical about his family. He participates in the final battle against the Dark Dragon and destroys his Shade Demons.

• Susan Long (Lauren Tom): Jake and Haley's Chinese human-born to Dragon ancestry mother and the daughter of Luong Lao Shi. She does not appear to have inherited any natural dragon powers and abilities, saying it skipped her generation. She works as a caterer. She also has a penchant to photograph milestones in her children's lives, such as Jake's first date and Haley's first lost tooth. Throughout the series, she keeps the family secret from Jonathan out of fears that he would freak out and (possibly) leave her; yet, this does not occur. However, on the last day of eighth grade, she wrote a letter explaining her families dragon powers and abilities, but never gave it to him. In one episode, Jake went back in time, took the note and put it in his father's locker causing him to actually leave her but he solved this problem. In the last episode, her husband finally finds out of his wife's family history. While unlike Jonathan who helped Jake out unknowingly a few times, Susan never took a direct role in his missions until Hong Kong Longs when she and Jonathan join Trixie, Spud, Haley and Fu Dog in helping to battle the Dark Dragon. During the battle, Susan manages to destroy a few Shade Demons and helps Jonathan destroy the rest.

• Sun Park (Sandra Oh): She is the Korean Dragon as well as Haley's dragon master and Jake's Home Economics teacher. She appears to be a pacifist, though she is quite adept at fighting if required. According to executive producers Eddie Guzelian and Matt Negrete, Sun was originally set to die in "Homecoming", however the scene was cut for being too dark.^[2]

• Kara and Sara (Tara Strong): Twin siblings who are descended from the Oracle of Delphi, each possessing the ability to see into the future. Kara only sees good things occur but is very moody and sullen, while Sara only sees bad things occur but is very happy and cheerful. When questioned by Jake over this, Kara states foreseeing all of life's good moments renders them without meaning for her, while Sara states that only foreseeing bad moments leaves her constantly looking at the positives of things and being cheerful at any good news. In the first season, they are identical redheads. The two are part of Jake's army against the Dark Dragon and help him temporarily destroy him. In the second season, Sara is a blonde and Kara has black hair. The two are also featured in the opening credits of Season 2.

• Veronica (Tara Strong): An arachnoid human hybrid and love interest of Fu during the first season. She runs a stand in Magus Bazaar, a magical shopping district in New York.

• Silver (Kari Wahlgren): A highly intelligent mermaid and ally of Jake, first shown as one of the prisoners for the Huntsclan's Grand Equinox Hunt. Strangely, despite her species, she suffers from aquaphobia in her first appearance. She overcomes this by the end of that episode, but later suffers a relapse in Season 2.

• Dolores Derceto (Susan Blakeslee): The first principal of Jake's school. She once noted that she saw Jake more often than her own secretary. Though initially appearing to be a paraplegic, she is revealed in the second season to be an undercover mermaid detective, seeking out the Kelpie. She also developed a relationship with Lao Shi, but when her assignment concluded, she had to leave – much to the regret of both.

• Councilor Andam (Clarence Williams III): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the African Dragon and is from Kenya.

• Councilor Kulde (Jeff Bennett): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the European Dragon and is from Norway. He has expressed particular interest in Jake's training and future, feeling he has great promise. It is noted that he is the only dragon in the series that breathes ice instead of fire.

• Councilor Omina: One of the members of the Dragon Council. She is the Dragon of Atlantis.

• Councilor Kukulkan: One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the Central American Dragon and is from Guatemala.

• Danika Hunnicutt (Jessica DiCicco): Jake's second love interest, who wins him at their school's fund-raising Bachelor Auction. When Jake starts to act dangerously self-destructive, a siren is believed to be the cause and Danika is the main suspect. It turns out that she was actually a pawn for the actual siren, but not before she is accused of wrong-doing by Jake and friends, which deeply upsets her. She admits she later forgave Jake and the two were graduation partners.

• Bertha: (Tara Strong) A giant girl whose feet smell.

• Nigel Thrall (Adam Wylie): Millard Fillmore Middle School's new foreign exchange student from the United Kingdom who turns out to be a wizard who came to America to complete his training. He and Jake immediately become rivals, as Nigel outdoes Jake at skateboarding and rapping, but eventually settle into a competitive friendship. Nigel later helps save Jake from the Gorgon sisters.

Antagonists/Villains[link]

• The Huntsman (Voiced by Jeff Bennett): The Huntsman (referred to as "Huntsmaster" by his subordinates) is the leader of the Huntsclan and the main antagonist of the series. The Dragon Council rates him as the #4 threat to the magical community. He is fanatically devoted to destroying all magical creatures (especially dragons), viewing them as disgusting and unnatural, and has no qualms against killing any humans who get in his way. Though he typically leaves his henchmen to do the fighting for him, he has proven quite powerful on his own. When Jake travels back in time to reveal the truth about dragons to his father, he encounters a teenaged Huntsman, who (while dedicated to the Huntsclan) is shown to be quite wimpy, bullied by his peers and speaking with a cracking voice. However, after Jake knocks him into a pit with a dangerous monster, the battered Huntsman displays a new intensity that terrifies his peers and vows to destroy every last dragon on Earth. He ultimately meets his demise when Rose's wish to destroy all Huntsclan is granted. The Huntsman was originally Rose's first guardian, stealing her from her parents as an infant and claiming her parents were deceased. (He did, however, know who and where her real parents were to maintain potential leverage.) Throughout the series, The Huntsman was a masked character always wearing a dragon skull helmet with a balaclava covering his face, only showing his eyes. His face is finally shown in his final appearance when Jake kicks him into an elevator, smashing his helmet. In rage, he tears off half of his shirt and balaclava showing that he has a huge dragon birthmark on his chest and face and that he is bald. In a running gag, he is often defeated in a comical fashion, such as Jake's flaming flatulence and being humiliated in front of his peers.
  • Huntsboys #88 and #89 (Voiced by Kyle Massey and Nicholas Brendon): Two Huntsclan students that become the Huntsman's apprentices in the second season. It was confirmed, that they were admitted into the Huntsclan because of their impressive skills in a fantasy video game (killing three dragons, a giant leech and a pack of Manticores.) which the Huntsman took literally, as shown in one of Fu's "rap-ups". They both act brave and arrogant, when in reality, they are cowards who run in fear at the sight of a dragon. Other than Rose, #88 and #89 are the only known Huntsclan members that were left alive after Rose's wish for the destruction of all Huntsclan was granted due to them quickly resigning before they were eliminated (and ran off with their masks being the only part of their uniform, in their boxers). However, they made a return in "Shaggy Frog".

• Professor Hans Rotwood (Voiced by Paul Rugg): Rotwood used to be a famous professor, until his theories on magical creatures humiliated him in front of his peers, destroyed his credibility as a scientific researcher, got him fired from his job at the Hoboken Science Institute and reduced him to his current position at Jake's school. As a believer of magical creatures, he teaches a class about them. However, because his facts are all wrong, Jake is always hopelessly confused and suffering from low grades in the class. He has a noted dislike of Jake, largely due to a frequent lack of respect. Rotwood eventually develops a suspicion of Jake and keeps a close eye on him. By Season 2, he becomes principal and tricks Jake into revealing himself as a dragon to him. In Season 2's "Magic Enemy #1.", he attempts to make Jake reveal himself as being a dragon by humiliating him at school. By the end of the episode, Rotwood gets a personal look at the magical world and is quite delighted, though Jake ensures he has no proof of what he saw. Though wanting to be famous for proving magical creatures exist, Rotwood appears to have a true affinity for them. At graduation, he and Jake seem to have put their differences aside as they shake hands. In "Dreamscape," it is suggested he encountered a Chimera while a baby.

• The Dark Dragon (Voiced by Clancy Brown): The number one threat to the magical world. His human form is never seen in the series. The Dark Dragon is shown to be stronger than other dragons, as well as capable of creating and controlling shade demons. Very little is known about him or his origins, but it is mentioned that he is consumed by dark magic. Few dragons have faced him and lived; Lao Shi was the only one before Jake encountered him, and Jake is the first dragon to do so twice. He feels that magical creatures are superior to humans and should be the dominant species of Earth instead. He appeared twice in the first season, in which he tried to get Jake to join him. He was destroyed by the Tooth Fairy during a battle with Jake and his "army," but is resurrected in season 2 even more powerful than ever. The resurrection required Jake's own chi or blood to succeed. Chang also gifted him with even more power than before. In the series finale, he captured Lao Shi in order to blackmail Jake into serving the dragons of the world a mind control potion. Jake tricked him and after Haley saved Lao Shi, the dragons of the world, Johnathon, Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog and Rose battled him. In the end, he was defeated by Jake and Rose when he was sucked into a portal, where he will be imprisoned for, at least, one thousand years.
  • Councilor Chang (Voiced by Lauren Tom): A member of the Dragon Council that was secretly working for the Dark Dragon. Her cover was revealed in "Hong Kong Nights," and she was imprisoned. However, in the second season, she escapes from prison to get revenge on Jake and revive the Dark Dragon. In the first season, Chang is seen breathing lightning. During the final battle of the series, she is defeated by Haley and Sun Park and recaptured.
  • Bananas B (Voiced by Adam Wylie): The first ever "hip-hop helper monkey" who replaces Fu as Jake's animal guardian. However, when Chang escapes from prison, Bananas joins her out of fear for his life. His betrayal nearly costs Jake his life, but Fu saves him. Bananas remains as Chang's sidekick until the final battle where he decides that he doesn't want to take part as he hates violence. He is then chased off by a gleeful Fu.
  • Shade Demons: Minions of the Dark Dragon. Creatures that are basically living shadows. Act as the Dark Dragon's minions, but are easily destroyed. In the final episode, Johnathon discovers that they have a weakness to light and destroys all of them by reflecting moonlight at them.

• Brad Morton (Voiced by Matt Nolan): A bully at Jake's school. He is noticeably bigger than the other students due to the fact that he was held back twice in the third grade, as mentioned in the episode Young at Heart. He is also noticeably dim, such as taking twelve years of piano lessons and being unable to play well in the slightest.

• Eli Pandarus (Voiced by Jonathan Freeman): The Wizard of Wall Street. Pandarus desires to be the most powerful magical being. In Season 1, Pandarus is fairly cowardly, as he cowers and begs not to be hurt after he is defeated in "Eye of the Beholder." In Season 2, he appears less cowardly and is much more wicked, being more willing to kill his enemies or those who get in his way.

Notable guest stars[link]

• Corey Burton as Sigmund Brock (episode "The Rotwood Files")
• Nestor Carbonell as Cupid (episode "The Love Cruise")
• Tia Carrere as Yan-Yan (episode "Fu and Tell")
• Lacey Chabert as Jasmine (episode "Dragon Breath")
• Diane Delano as Ogelvy (episode "Fu Dog Takes a Walk")
• Will Friedle as Greggy (episode "Feeding Frenzy")
• Dee Bradley Baker as Pooka Pooka (episode "Haley Gone Wild")
• Monty Hall as Himself (episodes "Eye of the Beholder" and "A Befuddled Mind")
• T'Keyah Crystal Keymah as Trixie's mom (episodes "Professor Rotwood's Thesis" and "Hairy Christmas")
• Tress MacNeille as Queen Lilliana (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Wendie Malick as Aunt Patchouli (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")
• Ron Masak as Marty (episode "Family Business")
• Edie McClurg as The Tooth Fairy (episode "The Legend of Dragon Tooth")
• John C. McGinley as Dr. Diente (episode "The Legend of the Dragon Tooth")
• Phil Morris as Trixie's dad (episode "Hairy Christmas")
• Paige Moss as Marnie Lockjelly (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Laura Ortiz as Vicky (episode "Siren Says")
• Liliana Mumy as Olivia Meers (episodes "Fu and Tell" and "Switcharoo")
• Kay Panabaker as Lacey (episode "Bring It On")
• Rob Paulsen as Thad Rochefort-Chaise (episode "Jake Takes the Cake'")
• Daryl Sabara as Hobie (episode "Ring Around the Dragon")
• Brenda Song as Tracey (episode "Bring It On")
• Mindy Sterling as Mrs. Grumplestock (episode "A Befuddled Mind")
• David Ogden Stiers as Narrator (episode "The Talented Mr. Long")
• James Arnold Taylor as Sam Spark (episode "Family Business")
• Stephen Tobolowsky as Troll (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")

Episodes[link]

Appearances in other media[link]

Television[link]

• Jake, Spud, Trixie, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog made a guest appearance in the Lilo & Stitch: The Series episode "Morpholomew" on July 1, 2005. In that episode, they had their Season 1 looks. Through this crossover, American Dragon: Jake Long is established to be in the same universe of the following cartoon series: Kim Possible; The Proud Family; and Recess, for all of them have characters who appeared in Lilo & Stitch: The Series.
• Juniper Lee has a lot of similarities to Jake Long, so The Life and Times of Juniper Lee is considered a near-counterpart of American Dragon: Jake Long. Both shows involve adolescent Chinese-Americans which have been given magical powers and must keep the balance between the magical and real world, something that they must keep a secret. Also, in both cases, this position was previously held by a grandparent, who now acts as a mentor. Another rather shocking coincidence is that in both shows the main character's dog can talk, and they are both of similar appearances. However even though both dogs have accents only that they have different accents and one is a pug while the other is a shar pei. They also have little siblings who also share their abilities, which at many times the main characters find them as nuisances. In addition both shows started and ended at very close dates. Both shows ran from 2005-2007.

Video games[link]

Two video games based on the show were produced, one for Nintendo DS and one for Game Boy Advance.

• Attack of the Dark Dragon (DS) — released October 12, 2006
• Rise of the Huntsclan (GBA) — released October 12, 2006

Books[link]

Jeff Goode has written two children's books about American Dragon which were released in 2003 and 2004 - before the initial TV show started airing.

• American Dragon Book 1: The Dragon Hunter, ISBN 0-7868-1926-X — released April 1, 2004
• American Dragon Book 2: The Gnome Eater, ISBN 0-7868-1927-8 — released May 1, 2004

References[link]

External links[link]

	United States portal
	Television portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: American Dragon: Jake Long

• Official website
• American Dragon: Jake Long at the Internet Movie Database
• American Dragon: Jake Long at TV.com
• American Dragon: Jake Long at JeffNet