What type of data contains all information necessary to reconstruct a single image in MPEG-2?

The correct choice is intra-coded frame data, commonly referred to as I-frame. I-frames are complete images that do not rely on any other frame for their reconstruction, meaning they contain all the data necessary to display the image independently. This makes them crucial for ensuring that the viewer can see a clear representation of the image at any point in the video stream, even if other frame types are not available.

In contrast, inter-coded frames, such as P-frames and B-frames, require data from other frames for reconstruction. P-frames store only the changes from the previous I-frame or P-frame, while B-frames can reference both preceding and following frames to reconstruct their image. Therefore, they do not have all the information necessary to form a complete image on their own, which distinguishes them from I-frames.

Understanding this hierarchy of frame types is essential in video compression techniques like MPEG-2 as it affects the efficiency of data storage and the quality of playback.