Abstract: A wear and oxidation resistant nickel-base alloy, exhibiting resistance to thermal cracking in high-stress elevated temperature environments, comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 53 to 67 nickel; 20 to 26 chromium; and 12 to 18 tungsten. The alloy optionally further comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight, at least one of: up to 3 cobalt; up to 3 molybdenum; up to 6 iron; 0.1 to 0.5 manganese; 0.1 to 0.7 silicon; 0.1 to 0.6 aluminum; and less than 0.05 carbon. Components of a seamless tube manufacturing apparatus fabricated from the alloy also are provided. The components may be, for example, tools for one of a piercing mill, a high mill, and a rotary expander, such as piercer points, piercing mill guide shoes, rotary expander guide shoes, reeler guide shoes, and high-mill plugs.

Abstract: A technique is provided for adaptively encoding in hardware, software or a combination thereof a sequence of frames in real time, wherein one or more of the frames includes a random noise portion. The technique includes using statistics analysis to determine whether a current frame includes a random noise portion, and if so, to evaluate and dynamically encode each macroblock thereof based on activity level of the macroblock. Evaluating macroblock activity level includes determining whether its activity level exceeds a predefined threshold indicative of random noise. The macroblock is adaptively encoded by adjusting one or more coding parameters if the macroblock activity level is excessive and its target bitrate is low.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product are provided for adaptively encoding in hardware, software or a combination thereof a series of still or partially still pictures using motion video encoding. A pre-encode statistics measurement unit is employed to derive statistics on each frame of the sequence of video frames to be encoded. The statistics are determinative of whether the frame comprises a still frame. If so, at least one controllable parameter to be used to encode the still frame is modified, and an encoding engine employs the at least one controllable parameter to encode the still frame so that pulsation artifacts are prevented between still frames of the series of still frames. Partial still picture encoding to prevent pulsation artifacts on a macroblock level is also addressed.

Abstract: System and method are provided for optimally encoding a sequence of video frames using image statistics collected from multiple encoders connected in parallel, each encoder employing a different set of encode parameters. The image statistics are used to select an optimum set of encode parameters for use in encoding the sequence of video frames in a subsequent encode subsystem stage. As an alternative, multiple buffers are connected to the outputs of the multiple, parallel connected encoders, with the encoded stream from the encoder employing the optimum set of encode parameters selected for output as the bitstream of encoded video data.

Abstract: A technique is provided for adaptively encoding in hardware, software or a combination thereof a sequence of frames in real time, wherein one or more of the frames includes a random noise portion. The technique includes using statistics analysis to determine whether a current frame includes a random noise portion, and if so, to evaluate and dynamically encode each macroblock thereof based on activity level of the macroblock. Evaluating macroblock activity level includes determining whether its activity level exceeds a predefined threshold indicative of random noise. The macroblock is adaptively encoded by adjusting one or more coding parameters if the macroblock activity level is excessive and its target bitrate is low.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product are provided for real time evaluation of compressed picture quality, in hardware, software or a combination thereof, during encoding of a sequence of video data. A received video signal is encoded by quantizing the signal after frequency transformation to produce a quantized video signal which is automatically evaluated in real time for data loss. Loss statistics, representative of picture quality of the quantized video signal, are generated for comparison with, for example, a predefined threshold as a dynamic control over outputting of the quantized video signal to the encode pipeline. As an enhancement, multiple quantizers are employed in parallel, each using a different quantization scale to produce multiple different quantization signals. The multiple quantization signals are evaluated in real time for picture quality and an optimum signal is selected for forwarding within the encode pipeline.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product are provided for adaptively encoding in hardware, software or a combination thereof a series of still or partially still pictures using motion video encoding. A pre-encode statistics measurement unit is employed to derive statistics on each frame of the sequence of video frames to be encoded. The statistics are determinative of whether the frame comprises a still frame. If so, at least one controllable parameter to be used to encode the still frame is modified, and an encoding engine employs the at least one controllable parameter to encode the still frame so that pulsation artifacts are prevented between still frames of the series of still frames. Partial still picture encoding to prevent pulsation artifacts on a macroblock level is also addressed.

Abstract: A digital video encoder system having a motion estimation processor, and an interface to the motion estimation processor. The motion estimation processor includes a reference memory interface, and inverse quantization processor, an inverse discrete cosine transform processor, and a motion estimation processor unit including a hierarchal search unit. The motion estimation processor is utilized generating temporally compressed datastreams, that is, I-P and I-P-B datastreams.