Abstract: One embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing a plurality of buffers for a video codec. Each buffer has at least one memory storage unit. A first video frame is received. The first video frame is stored in a first memory storage unit. A second video frame is received, the second video frame having said first video frame as a reference frame. The second video frame is stored in a second memory storage unit, with the second memory storage unit being a first predetermined number of memory storage units from the first memory storage unit.

Abstract: A processor has at least two sets of registers. The first set stores a matrix of data, and the second set stores a transposed copy of the matrix of data. When any portion of any row of the first set is modified, the corresponding portion of the column of the transposed copy in the second set is also automatically modified. A method of using two sets of registers for matrix processing by a processor includes storing a matrix of data into a first set of registers, the first set of registers having a first number of registers, each register comprising a first number of storage units, each storage unit storing an element of the matrix, and transposing the matrix of data into a second set of registers, the second set of registers having a second number of registers, each register comprising a second number of storage units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transcoding a digital video signal is described. A first set of bits encoded in a first encoding format are received. The first set of bits are decoded to discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients. The DCT coefficients are transformed into an intermediate exchange format. The transformed DCT coefficients are encoded using a second encoding format.

Abstract: Digital video (DV) formatted image streams may be converted into an intermediate format having a lower resolution than the original image streams. A user may then edit the intermediate formatted image streams to generate a sequence of edit commands. The edit commands may then be processed to generate an output image stream based on the original image streams. The output image stream may be in any desired format, including DV format. The sequence of edit commands may also be processed to generate a preview image stream in the intermediate format.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing a plurality of buffers for a video codec. Each buffer has at least one memory storage unit. A first video frame is received. The first video frame is stored in a first memory storage unit. A second video frame is received, the second video frame having said first video frame as a reference frame. The second video frame is stored in a second memory storage unit, with the second memory storage unit being a first predetermined number of memory storage units from the first memory storage unit.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for managing a plurality of buffers for a video codec. Each buffer has at least one memory storage unit. A first video frame is received. The first video frame is stored in a first memory storage unit. A second video frame is received, the second video frame having said first video frame as a reference frame. The second video frame is stored in a second memory storage unit, with the second memory storage unit being a first predetermined number of memory storage units from the first memory storage unit.

Abstract: The performance of video encoding is characterized both over the short term (e.g., based on the previous encoded frame) and over the long term (e.g., based on the previous n encoded frames). An encoding parameter (e.g., the global quantization level) is selected for the current frame based on the short-term and long-term performance characterizations and the current frame is encoded using that selected encoding parameter. In a preferred embodiment, the global quantization (Q) level is permitted to change for only certain (i.e., adjustable) frames. In addition, the global Q level for key frames is generated using special processing which tends to allow the key frames to be encoded using more bits.