Abstract: An apparatus generally having an interface and a circuit is disclosed. The interface may be connectable to a network to monitor a media program streaming across the network to a media client. The circuit may be configured to (i) generate first information by modeling a buffer of the media client, the first information being representative of a plurality of events related to the buffer during a playback of the media program and (ii) generate a signal representative of a quality of experience of the media program in response to the first information.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and systems using no-reference techniques for computing quality scores for audio and video components of a media session, where the quality scores are estimates of perceived quality by the viewer for the individual components of the media session. A presentation quality score is computed for a media stream by parsing a container of the media stream to determine media stream characteristics, estimating an visual quality factor and based on the visual quality factor, determining the presentation quality score.

Abstract: A method for transcoding that includes (A) generating a decoded frame by decoding an MPEG-2 input video stream, the decoded frame including decoded macroblocks; (B) determining a search center for encoding a current macroblock corresponding to a pair of the decoded macroblocks on consecutive macroblock rows, when (i) the encoding uses a predictive field mode and (ii) a current field being encoded is a second field of a current frame that has a first field as a reference field, the search center is a temporally scaled version of a decoded motion vector from an upper or a lower macroblock in the pair; (C) generating a refined motion vector by searching in a temporal search direction about the search center; and (D) generating an H.264 output video stream by encoding the current macroblock based on the refined motion vector.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and systems using no-reference techniques for computing quality scores for audio and video components of a media session, where the quality scores are estimates of perceived quality by the viewer for the individual components of the media session. A presentation quality score is computed for a media stream by parsing a container of the media stream to determine media stream characteristics, estimating an visual quality factor and based on the visual quality factor, determining the presentation quality score.

Abstract: A method of motion estimation (ME) refinement. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an initial motion vector (MV) by conducting a first ME on an initial block in a picture, the initial block covering an initial area of the picture, (B) generating a current MV by conducting a second ME on a current block in the picture, (i) the current block covering a subset of the initial area and (ii) the second ME being seeded by the initial MV, (C) generating at least one additional MV by conducting at least one third ME on the current block, the at least one third ME being seeded respectively by at least one neighboring MV spatially adjacent to the current MV and (D) generating a refined MV of the current block by storing in a memory a best among the current MV and the additional MV.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having an interface and a circuit is disclosed. The interface may be connectable to a network to monitor a media program streaming across the network to a media client. The circuit may be configured to (i) generate first information by modeling a buffer of the media client, the first information being representative of a plurality of events related to the buffer during a playback of the media program and (ii) generate a signal representative of a quality of experience of the media program in response to the first information.

Abstract: A method for transcoding that includes (A) generating a decoded frame by decoding an MPEG-2 input video stream, the decoded frame including decoded macroblocks; (B) determining a search center for encoding a current macroblock corresponding to a pair of the decoded macroblocks on consecutive macroblock rows, when (i) the encoding uses a predictive field mode and (ii) a current field being encoded is a second field of a current frame that has a first field as a reference field, the search center is a temporally scaled version of a decoded motion vector from an upper or a lower macroblock in the pair; (C) generating a refined motion vector by searching in a temporal search direction about the search center; and (D) generating an H.264 output video stream by encoding the current macroblock based on the refined motion vector.

Abstract: A method for transcoding is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a decoded frame by decoding an input video stream in an MPEG-2 format, the decoded frame including a plurality of decoded macroblocks; (B) determining a current search center to be used in encoding a current macroblock into an H.264 format, the current macroblock corresponding to a pair of the decoded macroblocks on consecutive macroblock rows, wherein when (i) the encoding uses a predictive field mode and (ii) a current field being encoded comprises a second field of a current frame and has a first field of the current frame as a reference field, the current search center comprises a temporally scaled version of a decoded motion vector from one of an upper macroblock of the pair and a lower macroblock in the pair; (C) generating a refined motion vector by searching in a temporal search direction about the current search center; and (D) generating an output video stream in the H.

Abstract: A method of motion estimation (ME) refinement. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an initial motion vector (MV) by conducting a first ME on an initial block in a picture, the initial block covering an initial area of the picture, (B) generating a current MV by conducting a second ME on a current block in the picture, (i) the current block covering a subset of the initial area and (ii) the second ME being seeded by the initial MV, (C) generating at least one additional MV by conducting at least one third ME on the current block, the at least one third ME being seeded respectively by at least one neighboring MV spatially adjacent to the current MV and (D) generating a refined MV of the current block by storing in a memory a best among the current MV and the additional MV.

Abstract: A method of motion estimation (ME) refinement. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an initial motion vector (MV) by conducting a first ME on an initial block in a picture, the initial block covering an initial area of the picture, (B) generating a current MV by conducting a second ME on a current block in the picture, (i) the current block covering a subset of the initial area and (ii) the second ME being seeded by the initial MV, (C) generating at least one additional MV by conducting at least one third ME on the current block, the at least one third ME being seeded respectively by at least one neighboring MV spatially adjacent to the current MV and (D) generating a refined MV of the current block by storing in a memory a best among the current MV and the additional MV.

Abstract: A method for implementing B-frame prediction in video compression comprising the steps of (A) setting a prediction flag (i) “off” if B-frames are used for block prediction and (ii) “on” if B-frames are not used for block prediction, (B) if the prediction flag is off, generating an output video signal in response to an input video signal by performing an inverse quantization step and an inverse transform step in accordance with a predefined coding specification and (C) if the prediction flag is on, bypassing the inverse quantization step and the inverse transform step.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of first reference samples of a first reference image from an external memory, the first reference samples being proximate a first position within the first reference image and (ii) generate a first motion vector corresponding to a first current block of a current image by searching among the first reference samples. The second circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of second reference samples of the first reference image from the external memory, the second reference samples being (a) proximate a second position within the first reference image and (b) non-adjacent the first reference samples and (ii) generate a second motion vector corresponding to the first current block by searching among the second reference samples.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a reference memory and a motion estimation circuit is disclosed. The reference memory may store reference samples used in a motion estimation of a current block beyond a boundary of a picture. The motion estimation circuit may (i) buffer the reference samples as copied from the reference memory, the reference samples as buffered residing both (a) inside the boundary and (b) inside a search window of the motion estimation, (ii) shift a sub-set of the reference samples to align with a corner of a sub-window, the sub-window being (a) completely within the search window and (b) at least partially outside of the boundary, (iii) fill an empty portion of the sub-window with copies of the reference samples within the sub-set and (iv) generate difference values by comparing the current block against the reference samples within the sub-window a plurality of times.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of sum values by adding a plurality of pixel difference values between a current block and a reference block, one of the sum values corresponding to each of a plurality of smallest partitions of the current block. The second circuit configured to (i) generate a plurality of intermediate values from the sum values, one of the intermediate values corresponding to each of a plurality of possible partitions of the current block, (ii) store a plurality of lowest values among the intermediate values as the current block is moved through a search window and (iii) generate a motion signal conveying at least one motion vector based on the lowest values.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of first reference samples of a first reference image from an external memory, the first reference samples being proximate a first position within the first reference image and (ii) generate a first motion vector corresponding to a first current block of a current image by searching among the first reference samples. The second circuit may be configured to (i) copy a plurality of second reference samples of the first reference image from the external memory, the second reference samples being (a) proximate a second position within the first reference image and (b) non-adjacent the first reference samples and (ii) generate a second motion vector corresponding to the first current block by searching among the second reference samples.

Abstract: An apparatus for motion estimation generally including a memory and a circuit. The circuit may be configured to (i) search for a first motion vector for a first current block among a plurality of first reference samples, (ii) copy a plurality of second reference samples from the memory and (iii) search for a second motion vector for a second current block among the second reference samples copied from the memory and at least a portion of the first reference samples.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first memory and a circuit is disclosed. The first memory may be used for a motion estimation of a current block. The circuit may be configured to (i) determine if a search window for the current block is at least partially outside a boundary of a picture stored in a second memory, (ii) copy a first plurality of reference samples in the search window from the second memory to the first memory and (iii) map a plurality of reads from the first memory for a plurality of pad samples to the reference samples in the first memory, where the pad samples are determined to be outside the boundary.

Abstract: A method for transcoding is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a decoded frame by decoding an input video stream in an MPEG-2 format, the decoded frame including a plurality of decoded macroblocks; (B) determining a current search center to be used in encoding a current macroblock into an H.264 format, the current macroblock corresponding to a pair of the decoded macroblocks on consecutive macroblock rows, wherein when (i) the encoding uses a predictive field mode and (ii) a current field being encoded comprises a second field of a current frame and has a first field of the current frame as a reference field, the current search center comprises a temporally scaled version of a decoded motion vector from one of an upper macroblock of the pair and a lower macroblock in the pair; (C) generating a refined motion vector by searching in a temporal search direction about the current search center; and (D) generating an output video stream in the H.

Abstract: An apparatus generally having a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of difference values by calculating an absolute difference between each pixel from a current block and a corresponding pixel from a reference block substantially simultaneously. The second circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of sum values by adding the difference values. The third circuit may be configured to generate at least one motion vector in response to the sum values.

Abstract: A method for implementing non-reference frame prediction in video compression comprising the steps of (A) setting a prediction flag (i) “off” if non-reference frames are used for block prediction and (ii) “on” if non-reference frames are not used for block prediction, (B) if the prediction flag is off, generating an output video signal in response to an input video signal by performing an inverse quantization step and an inverse transform step in accordance with a predefined coding specification and (C) if the prediction flag is on, bypassing the inverse quantization step and the inverse transform step.