Coding of 12-bit video from thermal imaging systems

A number of advanced applications of digital video technology exist which require pixels to be represented with a resolution higher than the 8 bits that is used in most existing video coding standards. These applications include the video generated by many modern thermal imaging systems used in surveillance applications, which has a dynamic range of 12 bits. In this paper, we describe the modifications required to extend existing video coding standards to support surveillance applications, concentrating on applications with pixels whose dynamic range is up to 12 bits. We examine the tools necessary to implement directly a 12-bit coding algorithm, as well as a scalable coding approach using SNR scalability.