Closed-loop motion compensation for video coding standards

In the classical block-matching motion-estimation approach, the motion vectors which result in minimum distortion between the estimated and the actual image block are chosen. However, these motion vectors may not be optimal in terms of coding efficiency. An analysis by synthesis method which selects the optimal motion vectors, using the resulting bit rate and distortion, is presented. A significant reduction in bit rate is achieved with virtually no degradation in objective image quality. H.263 is used in simulation experiments to test the algorithm     

Novel satellite digital video TDMA system for business videocommunications

The authors propose a satellite video signal transmission system that uses a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme for digital video signal transmission and a code division multiple access (CDMA) scheme for voice signal transmission from a video signal reception-only earth station (backward voice signal transmission). The adoption of a TDMA scheme makes it possible to transmit video signals from various places and to communicate in multipoint-to-(multi)point mode. For backward voice channel transmission from video signal reception-only earth stations, a superposed CDMA voice signal transmission over TDMA video signals by using the same transponder is proposed. The employment of high coding gain forward error correction and development of a cochannel interference cancellation technique have made it possible for the proposed system to transmit a practical number of voice channels. The performance of the proposed system has been experimentally evaluated and the results show the proposed scheme can transmit about 20 CDMA voice channels simultaneously     

The role of analysis in content-based video coding and indexing

The increasing spread of digital technology in many areas, notably telecommunications, and entertainment (TV/cinema), is nowadays changing the production, delivery, and consumption paradigms for multimedia information. New applications with critical requirements in terms of content-based interactivity are imminent, motivating the evolution of the models used for data representation, notably for coding and indexing. The emerging MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 standards are the recognition, by the industry, of these upcoming needs. This paper addresses the problem of video analysis for content-based coding and indexing in the context of a changing technological landscape. The main video analysis objectives and constraints are identified, the role of user interaction is studied, and some application examples are described.     

Reference model methodology-A tool for the collaborative creationof video coding standards

This paper discusses a methodology for developing a new video coding standard through collaboration; use of the reference model. It is a coding model which may start from a simple framework, is used as a yardstick to evaluate new coding elements and/or improvements of existing elements and allows evolution by incorporating these new or improved elements whose effectiveness has been demonstrated into the next generation model. Then this new generation model serves as an updated yardstick for the next round of study. This process is iterated until a sufficient level of performance is obtained. An outstanding feature of this method is to enable decision making based on purely technical characteristics The work to develop ITU-T Recommendation H.261 is detailed in this paper as evidence of its productiveness by describing techniques employed as well as some potential techniques which were not accepted in the end. This method has also been verified by the subsequent successful development of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 standards in ISO/IEC JTC1. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the reference model method also contributes to the efficient dissemination of the state of the art of the video coding technology. As a conclusion, some guidelines to apply this methodology are listed     

H.263的差错恢复视频编码及其在IP网络传输中的应用

以H.263 为主要依据，详细介绍了H.263标准中的差错恢复技术，着重探讨了差错恢复视频编码技术在基于分组的网络（IP网）视频传输中的应用。     

从H.261到H.264看视频编码标准的进展

介绍了H．26x系列视频编码标准的发展状况及其特性，对H．264的编码性能进行了分析测试，并对H．264编码的主观图像质量和亮度峰值信噪比与H．263的相关性能进行了比较和分析。     

Context-based entropy coding in AVS video coding standard

In this paper, two context-based entropy coding schemes for AVS Part-2 video coding standard are presented. One is Context-based 2D Variable Length Coding (C2DVLC) as a low complexity entropy coding scheme for AVS Part-2 Jizhun profile. C2DVLC uses multiple 2D-VLC tables to exploit the statistical features of DCT coefficients for higher coding efficiency. Exponential–Golomb codes are applied in C2DVLC to code the pairs of the run-length of zero coefficients and the non-zero coefficients for lower storage requirement. The other is Context-based Binary Arithmetic Coding (CBAC) as an enhanced entropy coding scheme for AVS Part-2 Jiaqiang profile. CBAC utilizes all previously coded coefficient magnitudes in a DCT block for context modeling. This enables adaptive arithmetic coding to exploit the redundancy of the high-order Markov process in DCT domain with a few contexts. In addition, a context weighting technique is used to further improve CBAC's coding efficiency. Moreover, CBAC is designed to be compatible to C2DVLC in coding elements which simplifies the implementations. The experimental results demonstrate that both C2DVLC and CBAC can achieve comparable or even slightly higher coding performance when compared to Context-Adaptive Variable Length Coding (CAVLC) in H.264/AVC baseline profile and Context-Based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC) in H.264/AVC main profile respectively.     

Developments in model-based video coding

This paper reports on current developments in the area of model-based video coding, a technique which shows promise of achieving very large bit-rate reductions for moving images. After an introduction and historical review, advances are summarized in several areas, among them improved 3D tracking of the human head and of facial expressions, the use of muscle-driven model animation with skin synthesis, techniques for luminance compensation, and switched coders. Bit rates ranging from 64 kb/s down to about 1 kb/s have been obtained using head-and-shoulder video sequences. Problems with model-based methods are identified and future developments in both CBR and VBR transmission discussed     

Multilayer subband-based video coding

A motion compensated interframe subband coding algorithm suitable for a wide range of video coding applications is described. In this approach the spectrum of each frame of video signal is first decomposed into smaller frequency bands where each can then be coded accordingly. For the best performance a combination of hybrid DCT/DPCM (discrete cosine transform/differential pulse code modulation), interframe DPCM, and intraframe PCM was considered. To preserve its hierarchical structure each band is coded independently of higher frequency bands but can share information with the lower bands. A simulation was carried out for HDTV sequences     

Absolute value coding for robust and scalable video coding

Absolute value coding is introduced as a method for significantly reducing temporal drift within a motion compensated predictive video codec in the presence of loss. Drift reduction both improves error resilience and enables scalability by omission of parts of the bit-stream. In conjunction with matching pursuits, the system can be used to provide a displaced frame difference codec using fixed length codewords, which further improves error resilience and facilitates simple bit-stream editing.     

Rate-distortion-constrained subband video coding

This paper introduces a subband video coding algorithm for operation over a continuum of rates from very low to very high. The key elements of the system are statistical rate-distortion-constrained motion estimation and compensation, multistage residual quantization, high order statistical modeling, and arithmetic coding. The method is unique in that it provides an improved mechanism for dynamic spatial and temporal coding. Motion vectors are determined in a nontraditional way, using a rate-distortion cost criterion. This results in a smoother and more consistent motion field, relative to that produced by conventional block matching algorithms. Control over the system computational complexity and performance may be exercised easily     

Perceptual-based distributed video coding

In this paper, we propose a perceptual-based distributed video coding (DVC) technique. Unlike traditional video codecs, DVC applies video prediction process at the decoder side using previously received frames. The predicted video frames (i.e., side information) contain prediction errors. The encoder then transmits error-correcting parity bits to the decoder to reconstruct the video frames from side information. However, channel codes based on i.i.d. noise models are not always efficient in correcting video prediction errors. In addition, some of the prediction errors do not cause perceptible visual distortions. From perceptual coding point of view, there is no need to correct such errors. This paper proposes a scheme for the decoder to perform perceptual quality analysis on the predicted side information. The decoder only requests parity bits to correct visually sensitive errors. More importantly, with the proposed technique, key frames can be encoded at higher rates while still maintaining consistent visual quality across the video sequence. As a result, even the objective PSNR measure of the decoded video sequence will increase too. Experimental results show that the proposed technique improves the R-D performance of a transform domain DVC codec both subjectively and objectively. Comparisons with a well-known DVC codec show that the proposed perceptual-based DVC coding scheme is very promising for distributed video coding framework.     

Digital video

Issues addressed at three Digital Systems Information Exchange meetings, held in November 1990 and March and September 1991, are summarized. The meetings explored digital developments, looked for areas of actual or potential commonality, and examined possible common frameworks for manipulating digital images. Progress in the area of digital video standards is discussed. The three main standards concern still-picture compression, video teleconferencing, and full-motion compression on digital storage media, Products being developed using standard digital video formats are surveyed. They include multimedia products, CD players, HDTV, and receivers     

视频编码的技术基础及发展方向

现有视频编码采用基于块的混合编码架构,利用预测、变换、量化和熵编码技术实现对视频信号的高效压缩.在现有架构基础上进一步优化,提供针对视频图像信号局部特性的更加灵活的处理和编码.基于机器学习的视频编码技术有望部分或全面地改变现有的混合编码框架,给视频编码带来新的研究思路.未来视频除了现有的二维平面视频,还需要编码面向AR/VR应用的球面视频数据和体视频数据,这些新的视频源数据格式也给视频编码技术研究带来新的机会和挑战.     

Robust video coding algorithms and systems

Wireless video communication is particularly challenging because it combines the already difficult problem of efficient compression with the additional and usually contradictory need to make the compressed bit stream robust to channel errors. We describe design and implementation strategies for error-robust video communications with an emphasis on techniques compatible with the coding approaches used in the ISO (MPEG-4) and ITU standards organizations. These techniques include modifications to the video coding algorithms as well as to the system layers that perform packetization and multiplexing     

Constant quality video coding using video content analysis

In the literature, several rate control techniques have been proposed to aim at the optimal quality of digitally encoded video under given bit budget, channel rate and buffer size constraints. Typically, these approaches are group-of-picture (GOP) based. For longer, heterogeneous sequences, they become unacceptably complex or struggle with model mismatches. In this paper, an off-line segment-based rate control approach is proposed for controlling the distortion variation across successive shots of a video sequence when encoding with single-layer (MPEG-4 baseline, MPEG-4 AVC) and scalable (wavelet) video codecs. Consistent quality is achieved by optimally distributing the available bits among the different segments, based on efficient rate-distortion (R-D) modelling of each segment. The individual segments are defined based on shot segmentation and activity analysis techniques. The algorithm is formulated for three different distribution models: download, progressive download and streaming. The results indicate that the proposed technique improves the quality consistency significantly, while the processing overhead compared to classical two-pass variable bit-rate (VBR) encoding is limited.     

Energy-efficient wireless video coding and delivery

Transmitting video over wireless channels from mobile devices has gained increased popularity in a wide range of applications. A major obstacle in these types of applications is the limited energy supply in mobile device batteries. For this reason, efficiently utilizing energy is a critical issue in designing wireless video communication systems. This article highlights recent advances in joint source coding and optimal energy allocation. We present a general framework that takes into account multiple factors, including source coding, channel resource allocation, and error concealment, for the design of energy-efficient wireless video communication systems. This framework can take various forms and be applied to achieve the optimal trade-off between energy consumption and video delivery quality during wireless video transmission.     

Robust video multicast with joint network coding and video interleaving

In this work, we propose a cross-layer solution to robust video multicast in erasure networks based on random linear network coding (RLNC) in the network layer and video interleaving (VI) in the application layer, and call it the joint RLNC-VI scheme. In the RLNC implementation, we partition one video coding unit (VCU) into several priority levels using scalable properties of H.264/SVC video. Packets from the same priority level of several VCUs form one RLNC generation, and unequal protection is applied to different generations. RLNC provides redundancy for video packets in the network layer and has proved to be useful in a multicast environment. Then, we propose a new packet-level interleaving scheme, called the RLNC-facilitated interleaving scheme, where each received packet corresponds to a new constraint on source packets. As a result, it can facilitate the RLNC decoding at the destination node. Furthermore, we study the problem of optimal interleaving design, which selects the optimal interleaving degree and the optimal redundancy of each generation. The tradeoff between delay and received video quality due to the choice of different VCUs is also examined. It is shown by simulation results that the proposed RLNC-VI scheme outperforms the pure RLNC method for robust video multicast in erasure networks. This can be explained by two reasons. First, the VI scheme distributes the impact of the loss (or erasure) of one VCU into partial data loss over multiple neighboring VCUs. Second, the original video content can be easily recovered with spatial/temporal error concealment (EC) in the joint RLNC-VI scheme.