Abstract: Edge detector techniques, known per se in the art, are applied to the field of automated video quality assessment. Any known edge detection algorithm is used as the basis of an edge detection stage for performing edge analysis of test video fields/frames in order to generate an edge parameter value that can then be used to contribute to an overall video quality value. The use of an edge detector stage contributes valuable information concerning image attributes which are perceptually significant to a human viewer to the quality assessment, thus rendering the result provided by the automated assessment more similar to that which would be performed by a human viewer undertaking a subjective assessment.

Abstract: Two video signals, typically an original signal and a degraded version of the same signal, are analyzed firstly to identify perceptually relevant boundaries of elements forming video images depicted therein. These boundaries are then compared to determine the extent to which the properties of the boundaries defined in one image are preserved in the other, to generate an output indicative of the perceptual difference between the first and second signals. The boundaries may be defined by edges, color, luminance or texture contrasts, disparities between frames in a moving or stereoscopic image, or other means. The presence, absence, difference in clarity or difference in means of definition of the boundaries is indicative of the perceptual importance of the differences between the signals, and therefore of the extent to which any degradation of the signal will be perceived by the human viewer of the resulting degraded image.

Abstract: The present invention applies edge detector techniques as are known per se in the art to the field of automated video quality assessment by providing a method of and system for video quality assessment which employs any known edge detection algorithm as the basis of an edge detection stage for performing edge analysis of test video fields/frames in order to generate an edge parameter value that can then be used to contribute to an overall video quality value. The use of an edge detector stage contributes valuable information concerning image attributes which are perceptually significant to a human viewer to the quality assessment, thus rendering the result provided by the automated assessment more similar to that which would be performed by a human viewer undertaking a subjective assessment.

Abstract: A method and system for automated video quality assessment which reduces the adverse effects of sub-field/frame misalignments between the reference and test sequences. More particularly, the invention provides for misalignments down to a sub-field/frame level to be handled by individually matching sub-field/frame elements of a test video field/frame with sub-field/frame elements from a reference video field/frame. The use of a matching element size that is significantly smaller than the video field/frame size enables transient sub-field/frame misalignments to be effectively tracked.