Efficient Multiplexing Scheme of Stereoscopic Video Sequences for Digital Broadcasting Services

This letter introduces a stereoscopic video broadcasting system that provides 3D visual service and has full backward compatibility with legacy digital television (DTV) service in the same channel capacity. The proposed stereoscopic video broadcasting system in this letter is composed of both a hybrid codec and a multiplexer with a newly defined stereoscopic‐related signaling method. In conclusion, the proposed method can be effectively applied for 3D broadcasting services without major changes in legacy broadcasting platforms.     

Synchronous 2D/3D Switching System for Service‐Compatible 3DTV Broadcasting

This paper proposes a new broadcasting system for the service‐compatible 3DTV in which the 3D service can coexist with the conventional digital TV broadcast. In the proposed system, the commercial 3DTV service can be implemented via the existing DTV channel without utilizing the dedicated 3DTV system. This 2D/3D system interworks with the conventional system and can switch to 2D or 3D service according to the broadcast programming and schedule. The system also provides a mechanism that can prevent the synchronization mismatch between left and right video streams and between the stream and the associated signaling in the 2D/3D transition periods. The picture quality measurements are carried out based on the ITU‐R recommended test to check the level of quality of service provided by the proposed scheme. The conformity tests are also performed with the conventional channel and the receiver for the DTV system to confirm the feasibility of the proposed one for the commercial service.     

Design of Synchronization and T‐STD Model for 3DTV Service over Hybrid Networks

The objective of digital broadcasting has evolved from providing a plain video service to offering a realistic visual experience. Technologies such as 3DTV and UHDTV have been suggested to achieve this new objective by providing an immersive and stereoscopic visual experience. However, owing to the high bandwidth requirements of such services, the broadcasting industry has faced a challenge to find a new transport mechanism for overcoming the bandwidth limitation. The standardization organizations, the Advanced Television Systems Committee, Digital Video Broadcasting, and Telecommunications Technology Association, have been working on the integration of broadcasting and a broadband network (IP) to resolve the bandwidth issue of realistic video services. This paper introduces a frame‐level timeline synchronization and transport system target decoder model for providing a stable 3DTV service over a hybrid network. The experimental results indicate that the proposed technologies can be successfully adopted as a reference model in a broadcast‐broadband hybrid 3DTV service and other IP‐associated hybrid broadcasting services.     

An HDTV‐Compatible 3DTV Broadcasting System

We introduce a high‐definition three‐dimensional television (3DTV) broadcasting system that is fully compatible with the existing transmission system of high‐definition television (HDTV). Specifically, we developed high‐definition 3DTV broadcasting subsystems including a 3DTV camera, 3DTV video multiplexer and demultiplexer, 3DTV receiver, and 3DTV outdoor broadcast van. To verify the developed subsystems, we performed experimental services of 3DTV broadcasting during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.. According to our subjective evaluation test, 88% of 273 viewers rated the perceived depth of 3DTV as “Good,” and 36% of the viewers preferred 3DTV to other digital broadcasting services.     

Repetitive Delivery Scheme for Left and Right Views in Service‐Compatible 3D Video Service

This paper introduces a novel repetitive delivery scheme for the left and right views in service‐compatible (SC) 3D video that provides full backward compatibility to a legacy DTV system while retaining HD 3D visual quality without additional bandwidth or a codec over the legacy broadcasting channel. The proposed SC delivery scheme transmits individual view sequences of a 3D video in interlaced form, that is, a left‐view sequence of a 3DTV program to be used repeatedly is transmitted first and stored locally, and the right‐view sequence of the 3D program is then transmitted. This paper specifically describes the signaling, synchronization, and storage format methods used to validate the proposed SC delivery scheme. The experiment results show that the proposed SC delivery scheme can be effectively applied for an SC 3DTV service without degrading the DTV quality using only legacy DTV platforms.     

ATSC Video and Audio Coding

In recent decades, digital video and audio coding technologies have helped revolutionize the ways we create, deliver, and consume audiovisual content. This is exemplified by digital television (DTV), which is emerging as a captivating new program and data broadcasting service. This paper provides an overview of the video and audio coding subsystems of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) DTV standard. We first review the motivation for data compression in digital broadcasting. The MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio compression algorithms are described, with emphasis on basic concepts, system features, and coding performance. Next-generation video and audio codecs currently under consideration for advanced services are also presented.     

HDTV图像活动性分析在码率分配中的应用

由于现存硬件条件的局限,高清晰度电视视频编码器的硬件实现只能通过数片ＳＤＴＶ级的编码芯片来完成,其子编码器的码率分配会影响整个编码器的图像编码质量。实验表明,平均分配码率存在着子图的码率分配与其活动性不匹配的弊病,为此提出了一种基于活动性分析的码率分配方法。在对Ｂａｓｋｅｔｂａｌｌ,Ｓｋｉ和Ｈｈｃ序列的软件模拟结果显示表明,该方法提高了图像编码质量的一致性,使得各重建子图的ＰＳＮＲ差值变小。     

Implementation of HDTV PES combiner based on horizontal six-block segmentation

We present the hardware design of the packetized elementary stream (PES) combiner in the third generation HDTV encoder in China, which is a key part in the HDTV encoding system. In our design, the input HDTV video signal is divided into six sub-images, and a horizontal six-block segmentation method is implemented in the HDTV encoder. Each of the sub-images is coded by one MP@ML encoding ASIC, which works at a different bitrate. The PES combiner combines all the output bit streams into one HDTV PES. The coding parameters and timing stamps are modified according to the requirements of MPEG-2 MP@HL. All these PES combiner functions are implemented by one complex programmable logic device (CPLD), which makes the whole encoding system compact and stable. The detailed discussions of hardware design are also presented in this paper. Experimental results show that the quality of decoded image is improved over the past two generation encoders, and constant bitrate can be maintained at the same time.     

Digital television terrestrial broadcasting

Digital transmission will change the way television channels are allocated and will force broadcasters to master a new set of parameters for optimizing service coverage. This article discusses modulation and channel coding issues related to digital television terrestrial broadcasting (DTTB), such as data throughput, spectrum efficiency, single- and multicarrier modulations, interferences under simulcasting conditions, multilayer services, and DTTB coverage. Current advanced television (ATV) research for terrestrial broadcasting in the VHF/UHF bands is converging toward a fully digital implementation. In a digital ATV system, the digitized high definition video sources, with raw bit rate of up to l-Gb/s, are compressed using source coding techniques based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding. The output data rate of the video source encoder, with present technology, is typically 15 to 20 Mb/s. This data rate is sufficient to provide a satisfactory distribution quality video service     

Fusion of digital television,broadband Internet and mobile communications—Part II: Future service scenarios

This is the second part of the tutorial paper following the previous tutorial paper describing enabling technologies in digital video broadcasting (DVB) system. The paper presents the current and future operational scenarios for DVB via satellite (DVB‐S) system. Review of the current state‐of‐the‐art technologies consisting of integration of broadband Internet and mobile communications and integration of broadband Internet and DVB are given. The future operational scenarios emphasize the fusion of DVB systems with other technologies in terms of network fusion and terminal fusion. For satellite service scenarios, it also takes into consideration mobility management and standard quality‐of‐service mechanism issues, such as integrated services and differentiated services. Several research directions for providing seamless services regardless of network, access technology and terminal in the fusion network are also highlighted in this paper. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distributed Monoview and Multiview Video Coding

Growing percentage of the world population now uses image and video coding technologies on a regular basis. These technologies are behind the success and quick deployment of services and products such as digital pictures, digital television, DVDs, and Internet video communications. Today's digital video coding paradigm represented by the ITU-T and MPEG standards mainly relies on a hybrid of block- based transform and interframe predictive coding approaches. In this coding framework, the encoder architecture has the task to exploit both the temporal and spatial redundancies present in the video sequence, which is a rather complex exercise. As a consequence, all standard video encoders have a much higher computational complexity than the decoder (typically five to ten times more complex), mainly due to the temporal correlation exploitation tools, notably the motion estimation process. This type of architecture is well-suited for applications where the video is encoded once and decoded many times, i.e., one-to-many topologies, such as broadcasting or video-on-demand, where the cost of the decoder is more critical than the cost of the encoder.     

Demonstration of Bidirectional Services Using MPEG‐4 BIFS in Terrestrial DMB Systems

Digital broadcasting technology has developed focusing on multi‐channel/multi‐media, high‐definition quality, and mobility‐support. Recently, there has been a clear trend toward bidirectional service with the convergence between broadcasting and communication. The broadcasting viewer is no longer simply a passive receptor but has also become an information generator. Currently, the digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) specifications are the major standard for portable digital broadcasting and have been establishing the overall guidelines for bidirectional service using the MPEG‐4 system. While detailed specifications for DMB systems are not well‐established for bidirectional service yet, they share the basic concepts underlying the European Eureka‐147 Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) system. This paper develops key scenarios for bidirectional service in DMB, describes the signal transaction of broadcasting and return channels, and demonstrates typical scenarios using binary format for scenes (BIFS) in the MPEG‐4 system.     

Dynamic resource allocation for DVB‐RCS networks

To provide high‐speed multimedia services using the digital video broadcasting‐return channel satellite (DVB‐RCS) standard, it is imperative to efficiently assign timeslots according to user demands and dynamically take into account the variations of the propagation conditions. In satellite networks operating above 10 GHz, rain fading constitutes the dominant factor deteriorating the quality of service. In this paper, a novel two‐phase resource allocation scheme for a DVB‐RCS compliant satellite network is proposed. The scheme operates in two phases, the resource calculation and the resource assignment. In the resource calculation phase, based on a dynamic channel model, an efficient algorithm is presented to determine the superframe design that maximizes system throughput. In the resource assignment phase, a novel Hybrid Bin‐packing algorithm is introduced maximizing the utilization of the multi‐frequency time division multiple access frame. The proposed algorithm has been compared with existing schemes exhibiting significantly better results with regard to overall system throughput. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于众核平台的多路超高清视频编码系统设计

首次展示一套基于低功耗众核TILE-36处理器平台的多路超高清实时系统.该系统可以同时编码4路HEVC超高清视频,并经过TS复用后以常码率的形式发送到解码端.为了保证编码系统稳定运行,采取了基于非线性R-Q模型的闭环码率控制来调整编码器的输出码率,同时引入缓存控制机制来确保系统总延时恒定,最后加入了基于帧数统计的时钟同步机制来同步系统中各模块的时钟.实验显示该系统能够长时间稳定运行,并具有同时编码4路HEVC超高清视频的能力.     

视频监控系统在无人值守变电站的应用

无人值守变电站视频监控系统采用C/S体系结构,H.264压缩标准的嵌入式网络编码器提供视频服务,视频流通过2 M光纤信道,组播方式传输到主站系统,主站系统与MIS网和调度网无缝结合,从局内各工作站可以远程监控各个变电站运行情况。该系统集先进性、开放性、可靠性与实时性为一体,为实现变电站的无人值守提供了基本保障,促进了电力系统的自动化、现代化和综合性管理。     

基于DM642的AVS-M视频编码器的设计与优化

设计了一种基于DM642实现的4路AVS-M实时视频编码器,给出了系统的软硬件设计和优化方法;提出了编码器关键模块的优化策略。经优化后能实现4路AVS—M视频的实时编码,具有功能强、可靠性高、体积小、功耗低和易于升级等特点。     

Development of Interactive Data Broadcasting System Compliant with ATSC Standards

In this paper, we present an interactive data broadcasting system compliant with the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards. The proposed system provides users not only with various data broadcasting services but also remote interactive services. For various data broadcasting services, we have adopted a synchronized data injector that calculates the transmission time of synchronized data accurately and multiplexes synchronized data with the data of an MPEG‐2 audiovisual program according to the calculated transmission time. To support remote interactive services, we designed and implemented a return channel server connected on a bi‐directional interaction channel. Test results show that the proposed system provides both an asynchronous and synchronized data broadcasting service and remote interactive service appropriately.     

Multi‐channel Audio Service in a Terrestrial‐DMB System Using VSLI‐Based Spatial Audio Coding

Spatial audio coding (SAC) is an extremely high compact representation of encoded multi‐channel audio material. This paper suggests a multi‐channel audio service in the terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T‐DMB) system using a novel SAC tool, which is called a virtual source location information (VSLI)‐based SAC tool. Intensive experiments are presented to evaluate the validity of the proposed VSLI‐based SAC tool, and prototypical systems are also presented to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed multi‐channel T‐DMB system in real applications.     

Joint video coding of MPEG-2 video programs for digitalbroadcasting services

In digital broadcasting services such as digital satellite TV, cable TV, and digital terrestrial TV, several video programs are compressed by MPEG-2 and then simultaneously transmitted over a conventional CBR (constant bit rate) broadcasting channel. In this environment, the picture quality of the aggregated video programs should be kept as equal as possible to provide fair video services for all the viewers. We propose a joint video coding scheme for ensuring that the picture quality of all the programs are nearly the same. This objective is achieved by simultaneously controlling the video encoders to generate the VBR (variable bit rate) compressed video streams. This paper contributes in two ways. First, we propose a rate-distortion estimation method for MPEG-2 video, which enables us to predict the amount of bits and the distortion generated from an encoded picture at a given quantization step size and vice versa. The most attractive features of the proposed estimation method are its accuracy and a computational complexity low enough to be applied to real-time video coding applications. Second, this paper presents an efficient and accurate joint video coding scheme using the rate-distortion estimation results. The experimental results show that our coding scheme gives a higher and more stable picture quality and a more efficient channel utilization than an independent coding scheme that encodes each program independently