Abstract: Method and apparatus of coding pictures containing one or more virtual boundaries, such as 360-degree virtual reality (VR360) video are disclosed. According to this method, a reconstructed filtered unit associated with a loop filter for a current reconstructed pixel is received. The loop filtering process associated with the loop filter is applied to the current reconstructed pixel to generate a filtered reconstructed pixel, where if the loop filtering process for the current reconstructed pixel is across a virtual boundary of the picture, the loop filtering process is disabled when fixed-size loop filtering is used or a smaller-size loop filter is selected when adaptive-size loop filtering is used for the current reconstructed pixel, where the filtered reconstructed pixel is the same as the current reconstructed pixel when the loop filtering process is disabled. The filtered reconstructed pixel is the same as the current reconstructed pixel.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: decoding apart of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, where the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes projection faces in a projection layout; and remapping sample locations of the projection-based frame to locations on the sphere, where a sample location within the projection-based frame is converted into a local sample location within a projection face packed in the projection-based frame; in response to adjustment criteria being met, an adjusted local sample location within the projection face is generated by applying adjustment to at least one coordinate value of the local sample location within the projection face, and the adjusted local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere; and in response to the adjustment criteria not being met, the local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes: decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, and parsing at least one syntax element from the bitstream. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes projection faces packed in a cube-based projection layout. At least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the projection faces via cube-based projection. The at least one syntax element is indicative of a guard band configuration of the projection-based frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video coding incorporating Deep Neural Network are disclosed. A target signal is processed using DNN (Deep Neural Network), where the target signal provided to DNN input corresponds to the reconstructed residual, output from the prediction process, the reconstruction process, one or more filtering processes, or a combination of them. The output data from DNN output is provided for the encoding process or the decoding process. The DNN can be used to restore pixel values of the target signal or to predict a sign of one or more residual pixels between the target signal and an original signal. An absolute value of one or more residual pixels can be signalled in the video bitstream and used with the sign to reduce residual error of the target signal.

Abstract: An exemplary video processing method includes: receiving an omnidirectional content corresponding to a sphere; obtaining a plurality of projection faces from the omnidirectional content of the sphere according to a pyramid projection; creating at least one padding region; and generating a projection-based frame by packing the projection faces and the at least one padding region in a pyramid projection layout. The projection faces packed in the pyramid projection layout include a first projection face. The at least one padding region packed in the pyramid projection layout includes a first padding region. The first padding region connects with at least the first projection face, and forms at least a portion of one boundary of the pyramid projection layout.

Abstract: A video processing method includes receiving a reconstructed frame, and applying in-loop filtering, by at least one in-loop filter, to the reconstructed frame. The step of in-loop filtering includes performing a sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering operation. The step of performing the SAO filtering operation includes keeping a value of a current pixel unchanged by blocking the SAO filtering operation of the current pixel included in the reconstructed frame from being applied across a virtual boundary defined in the reconstructed frame.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that comprises at least one projection face and at least one guard band packed in a projection layout. At least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the at least one projection face via projection. The decoded frame is in a 4:2:0 chroma format or a 4:2:2 chroma format, and a guard band size of each of the at least one guard band is equal to an even number of luma samples.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, wherein the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes a plurality of projection faces packed in a projection layout with M projection face columns and N projection face rows, M and N are positive integers, and at least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the plurality of projection faces via projection. Regarding the decoded frame, a picture width excluding guard band samples is equal to an integer multiple of M, and a picture height excluding guard band samples is equal to an integer multiple of N.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: decoding apart of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, where the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes projection faces in a projection layout; and remapping sample locations of the projection-based frame to locations on the sphere, where a sample location within the projection-based frame is converted into a local sample location within a projection face packed in the projection-based frame; in response to adjustment criteria being met, an adjusted local sample location within the projection face is generated by applying adjustment to at least one coordinate value of the local sample location within the projection face, and the adjusted local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere; and in response to the adjustment criteria not being met, the local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere.

Abstract: A video processing method includes a step of receiving a bitstream, and a step of decoding a part of the bitstream to generate a decoded frame, including parsing a plurality of syntax elements from the bitstream. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes a plurality of projection faces packed at a plurality of face positions with different position indexes in a hemisphere cubemap projection layout. A portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the plurality of projection faces via hemisphere cubemap projection. Values of the plurality of syntax elements are indicative of face indexes of the plurality of projection faces packed at the plurality of face positions, respectively, and are constrained to meet a requirement of bitstream conformance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video coding incorporating Deep Neural Network are disclosed. A target signal is processed using DNN (Deep Neural Network), where the target signal provided to DNN input corresponds to the reconstructed residual, output from the prediction process, the reconstruction process, one or more filtering processes, or a combination of them. The output data from DNN output is provided for the encoding process or the decoding process. The DNN can be used to restore pixel values of the target signal or to predict a sign of one or more residual pixels between the target signal and an original signal. An absolute value of one or more residual pixels can be signalled in the video bitstream and used with the sign to reduce residual error of the target signal.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, where the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes projection faces in a hemisphere cubemap projection layout; and remapping sample locations of the projection-based frame to locations on the sphere, where a sample location within the projection-based frame is converted into a local sample location within a projection face packed in the projection-based frame; in response to adjustment criteria being met, an adjusted local sample location within the projection face is generated by applying adjustment to one coordinate value of the local sample location within the projection face, and the adjusted local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere; and in response to the adjustment criteria not being met, the local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere.

Abstract: A video processing method includes: decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, where the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes projection faces in a hemisphere cubemap projection layout; and remapping sample locations of the projection-based frame to locations on the sphere, where a sample location within the projection-based frame is converted into a local sample location within a projection face packed in the projection-based frame; in response to adjustment criteria being met, an adjusted local sample location within the projection face is generated by applying adjustment to one coordinate value of the local sample location within the projection face, and the adjusted local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere; and in response to the adjustment criteria not being met, the local sample location within the projection face is remapped to a location on the sphere.

Abstract: A video processing method includes a step of receiving a bitstream, and a step of decoding a part of the bitstream to generate a decoded frame, including parsing a plurality of syntax elements from the bitstream. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes a plurality of projection faces packed at a plurality of face positions with different position indexes in a hemisphere cubemap projection layout. A portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the plurality of projection faces via hemisphere cubemap projection. Values of the plurality of syntax elements are indicative of face indexes of the plurality of projection faces packed at the plurality of face positions, respectively, and are constrained to meet a requirement of bitstream conformance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of video coding incorporating Deep Neural Network are disclosed. A target signal is processed using DNN (Deep Neural Network), where the target signal provided to DNN input corresponds to the reconstructed residual, output from the prediction process, the reconstruction process, one or more filtering processes, or a combination of them. The output data from DNN output is provided for the encoding process or the decoding process. The DNN can be used to restore pixel values of the target signal or to predict a sign of one or more residual pixels between the target signal and an original signal. An absolute value of one or more residual pixels can be signalled in the video bitstream and used with the sign to reduce residual error of the target signal.

Abstract: A video encoding method includes: encoding a projection-based frame to generate a part of a bitstream, wherein at least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to projection faces via cube-based projection, and the projection-based frame has the projection faces packed in a cube-based projection layout; and signaling at least one syntax element via the bitstream, wherein said at least one syntax element is associated with a mapping function that is employed by the cube-based projection to determine sample locations for each of the projection faces.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, and parsing at least one syntax element from the bitstream. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that has projection faces packed in a cube-based projection layout. At least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the projection faces via cube-based projection. The at least one syntax element is indicative of packing of the projection faces in the cube-based projection layout.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame, wherein the decoded frame is a projection-based frame that includes a plurality of projection faces packed in a projection layout with M projection face columns and N projection face rows, M and N are positive integers, and at least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the plurality of projection faces via projection. Regarding the decoded frame, a picture width excluding guard band samples is equal to an integer multiple of M, and a picture height excluding guard band samples is equal to an integer multiple of N.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes decoding a part of a bitstream to generate a decoded frame. The decoded frame is a projection-based frame that comprises at least one projection face and at least one guard band packed in a projection layout. At least a portion of a 360-degree content of a sphere is mapped to the at least one projection face via projection. The decoded frame is in a 4:2:0 chroma format or a 4:2:2 chroma format, and a guard band size of each of the at least one guard band is equal to an even number of luma samples.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of processing 360-degree virtual reality (VR360) pictures are disclosed. According to one method, if a leaf coding unit contains one or more face edges, the leaf processing unit is split into sub-processing units along the face edges without the need to signal the partition. In another method, if the quadtree (QT) of binary tree (BT) partition depth for a processing unit has not reached the maximum QT or BT depth, the processing unit is split. If the processing unit contains a horizontal face edge, QT or horizontal BT partition is applied. If the processing unit contains a vertical face edge, QT or vertical BT partition is applied.