Abstract: A method and system detection of inherent noise present within a video source prior to digital video compression is disclosed. A noise image is extracted by subtracting a current image from its filtered version. Each pixel of the extracted noise image is normalized based on a determined principal edge image and the analog noise pixels are accumulated to generate an intermediate noise confidence value. Analog noise may be detected based on an analog noise confidence value generated based on the intermediate noise confidence value and a ringing metric, a blockiness metric, a motion vector cost of the current image, a blurriness exception weight, a flashiness exception weight, and a pan blur exception weight. The method may further comprise detection of high frequency noise based on determining a high frequency noise confidence value that may be based on a high frequency noise value and a frequency component with highest magnitude.