Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, graphics input and audio input simultaneously. The system includes a video decoder having a chroma-locked sample rate converter. The chroma-locked sample rate converter converts the samples to those taken at a sample rate that is a multiple of the chroma subcarrier frequency and that is locked to chroma bursts of the analog video signal in a control loop. The video decoder also includes a line-locked sample rate converter that receives samples at a multiple of the chroma subcarrier frequency and converts the samples to samples with a sample frequency that is a multiple of the horizontal line rate of the video input. The line-locked sample rate converter measures the horizontal line rate to an accuracy of a fraction of a pixel and adjusts the sample rate and phase of the line-locked sample rate converter to produce accurate line-locked samples.

Abstract: Systems and methods of coding progressive content with isolated fields for conversion to interlaced display are provided. Some systems and methods may find use in, for example, digital video compression systems and methods. Film material may be encoded as video material with an intended field polarity and an explicit 3:2 pull-down operation for interlaced display (e.g., a 30-frames-per-second display).

Abstract: Presented herein are systems and methods for scaling. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for scaling. The method comprises receiving a top field and a bottom field, detecting whether the top field and bottom field correspond to the same time period, and generating a scaled field for display using both the top field and bottom field, if the top field and the bottom field correspond to the same time period.

Abstract: A system and method for determining whether to process a signal using three-dimensional comb filtering. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise method steps and system components that generate an inter-frame chroma signal. Various aspects may generate a filtered inter-frame chroma signal by removing a band of frequency components from the inter-frame chroma signal that generally corresponds to chroma signal components. Various aspects may analyze the filtered inter-frame chroma signal to determine whether three-dimensional comb filtering may be appropriate. Various aspects may comprise method steps and components that generate inter-frame and intra-frame luma signals. Various aspects may generate filtered inter-frame and intra-frame luma signals by removing frequency components from the inter-frame and intra-frame luma signals, respectively, that fall outside a frequency band near the chroma sub-carrier frequency.

Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. The chip includes a display engine that processes graphics images organized as windows. The system includes plurality of line buffers for receiving the graphics contents. The graphics contents are composited into each of the plurality of line buffers by blending the graphics contents with the existing contents of the line buffer until all of the graphics surfaces for the line have been composited.

Abstract: Presented herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus for displaying pictures on a display. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for outputting pictures. The method comprises receiving the plurality of fields for display in a particular order, where the plurality of fields are associated with the stream; detecting that a first field and a field adjacent to the first field have the same polarities; selecting between leading or lagging the fields after the first field; detecting that a second field and a field adjacent to the second field have the same polarities; selecting between leading and lagging the fields after the second field, based at least in part on the selection after the first field; detecting that a third field and a field adjacent to the third field have the same polarities; and selecting between leading and lagging the fields based at least in part on the selection after the second field.

Abstract: A system and method for personal video recording (PVR) is provided for recording digitally encoded streams, and for playing back and decoding the recorded streams. The PVR system may receive the digitally encoded streams from a digital cable box or a network server. The system enables trick modes including fast forward and reverse mode displays at various speeds. The system an method for PVR may also be applied to digitally encoded streams without I-pictures, such as, for example, progressive refresh streams or HITS streams. Reverse decode and display may be implemented by starting at a suitable entry point, decoding quickly up to the point of the desired picture, and displaying the result, and repeating the process. Index tables of entry points may be used for proper operation in some modes where the entry points are entry pictures (E-pictures) which start a pattern of progressively refreshing I-slices.

Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. The system may use anti-aliased text and graphics to provide high quality display of graphical elements, or glyphs, which represent an image of a character of text or graphics, on television and other displays. The graphical elements may be superimposed over live video or arbitrary graphics imagery.

Abstract: A method for processing video information may include calculating a plurality of motion indicators for a plurality of pixels in a current field and at least one corresponding plurality of pixels in at least one adjacent field. At least one of the plurality of motion indicators may indicate an amount of weave artifacts that are created, if the plurality of pixels in the current field are woven with the corresponding plurality of pixels in the at least one adjacent field. The calculated plurality of motion indicators may be combined to generate a blend control value that indicates an amount of weaving and spatial interpolation that is to be done for a current output sample value. The current output sample value may be generated based on the generated blend control value.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for inverse telecine and field pairing may comprise receiving a plurality of fields of alternating polarity. A current field may be weaved with its corresponding adjacent field of opposite polarity. A polarity change count value may be calculated based on the weaving of the current field with its corresponding adjacent field of opposite polarity. The method may determine whether to utilize a progressive scheme or an interlaced scheme to encode the received plurality of fields of alternating polarity based at least in part on the calculated polarity change count value. At least one of a top field first (TFF) scheme, a bottom field first (BFF) scheme, a top field first-repeat first field (TFF-RFF) scheme and a bottom field first-repeat first field (BFF-RFF) scheme may be chosen to pair the plurality of fields of alternating polarity.

Abstract: A method for comparing pixels may comprise determining at least one polarity difference for at least one pair of neighboring pixels selected from a plurality of adjacent pixels, which are from different fields. A number of subsequent polarity changes may be calculated for the pair of neighboring pixels based on the determined polarity of difference. The adjacent pixels may be selected from a plurality of woven fields. A portion of the selected adjacent pixels may include pixels in neighboring fields. A portion of the selected adjacent pixels may include vertically adjacent pixels, horizontally adjacent pixels, and/or diagonally adjacent pixels. At least one pixel in the plurality of adjacent pixels includes a corresponding horizontally, vertically or diagonally located adjacent pixel in a different field.

Abstract: A method for processing video information may include calculating a polarity change count (PCC) for a plurality of pixel pairs selected from a plurality of pixels from different fields utilizing a plurality of difference polarity values associated with the plurality of pixel pairs. At least a portion of the plurality of pixels from different fields may be deinterlaced based on at least the calculated PCC. The plurality of difference polarity values may be calculated for the plurality of pixel pairs selected from the plurality of pixels from different fields. At least one difference in amplitude of at least one of the selected pixel pairs may be calculated for the calculating the plurality of difference polarity values. The plurality of pixels from different fields may comprise a plurality of adjacent pixels from a plurality of woven fields.

Abstract: In one embodiment, there is presented a method for processing data. The method comprises receiving a bitstream, said bitstream comprising a first data stream and a second data stream, wherein the first data stream comprises data that is intended to be consumed at a substantially constant bit rate; and controlling the processing rate of the second data stream based at least in part on the rate of receipt of the first data stream.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, there is presented computer readable media for servicing at least one task. The machine readable media stores a plurality of instructions, where the plurality of instructions further comprises an operating system. The operating system treats a first request from a task at a priority level associated with a real time application and treats subsequent requests from the task that occur within a predetermined amount of time after the first request at another priority level that is lower than the priority level associated with the task. In another embodiment, an operating system receives real time requirements from at least one task and determines whether it can assure the task of meeting its real time requirements.

Abstract: Described herein are a method and system for frame rate adaptation. There may be conditions that require the rate of a video sequence to be dynamically controlled, and a frame interval may be adaptively selected every frame. A frame within the video sequence may contain, for example, a time stamp that is transmitted to a decoder to indicate the change in temporal spacing between frames.

Abstract: Described herein are a method and a system for noise estimation. The method and system produce a noise level estimate based a plurality of residual values. A residual value may be the difference between a pixel that is in a location in one picture and another pixel that is in the same location of another picture. If all of the residual values in a window have a magnitude within a range, those residual values are compared to one or more thresholds. The noise estimate may be calculated based on the comparison results. The method and system may be incorporated into video processing applications. For example, the proper identification of the noise level may aid motion estimators used in video coding; motion compensated temporal filtering; and aid in controlling adaptive filters.

Abstract: A display engine of a video and graphics system includes one or more processing elements and receives graphics from a memory. The graphics data define multiple graphics layers, and the processing elements process two or more graphics layers in parallel to generate blended graphics. Alpha values may be used while blending graphics. The processing elements may be integrated on an integrated circuit chip with an input for receiving the graphics data and other video and graphics components. The display engine may also include a graphics controller for receiving two or more graphics layers in parallel, for arranging the graphics layers in an order suitable for parallel processing, and for providing the arranged graphics layers to the processing elements. The blended graphics may be blended with HDTV video or SDTV video, which may be extracted from compressed data streams such as an MPEG Transport stream.

Abstract: Presented herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus for a trick mode. In one embodiment, there is presented a system for displaying video data. The system comprises a buffer and a first circuit. The storage receives a normal video stream. The first circuit generates a trick mode stream from the normal video stream.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for video sequence evaluation in the presence of cross-chroma interference. When the luma and chroma components in an analog video sequence are separated, the luma component may add interference to the chroma component. This is called cross-chroma interference. In the evaluation of the video sequence, the cross-chroma interference may be interpreted as motion, noise, or other artifacts. By reducing the cross-chroma interference during the evaluation, motion and noise can be identified with greater probability. The proper identification can aid motion estimators used in video coding and motion compensated temporal filtering, and it can aid video filters that do not utilize motion compensation.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for estimating motion in a video sequence. When motion is present in the video sequence, this system and method may require the identification of motion data that include reference blocks and motion vectors. The motion data may be utilized by a motion compensated temporal filter (MCTF) for the reduction of noise. A video encoder may also utilize the motion data for encoding and removing temporal redundancy.