Abstract: A method and system is described for video encoding with multiple parallel encoders. The system uses multiple encoders which operate in different rows of the same slice of the same video frame. Data dependencies between frames, rows, and blocks are resolved through the use of a data network. Block information is passed between encoders of adjacent rows. The system can achieve low latency compared to other parallel approaches.

Abstract: A Digital Video Recorder is used to record broadcast television programs, store them on a hard disk, and replay them for later viewing. The programs are compressed in the MPEG-2 video compression format when they are first stored on the disk. A separate, second compression algorithm is later performed on the video files that are on the disk. Such transcoding typically occurs when the Digital Video Recorder is otherwise inactive and is used to apply more compression to the stored programs. This step results in a smaller file size for each video file and thereby permits more hours of video to be stored on a given hard disk.