Abstract: A system and method for editing a bitstream is provided. A first segment is cut from a first bitstream and a second segment is cut from a second bitstream. In cutting the segments from the bitstreams, first and last GOPs in the segments can be cut between frames in the GOP. The number of frames of the broken GOP is then compared to a pre-determined threshold value. If the number of frames of the broken GOP is less than or equal to the threshold value, the broken GOP is combined with a neighboring GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is longer than the standard size regular GOP. However, if the number of frames in the broken GOP is greater than the threshold value, a new GOP is created with the frames of the broken GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is shorter than the standard size regular GOP.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a quantizer scale for each macroblock within a frame to optimize the coding rate is presented. A quantizer scale is selected for each macroblock within each frame such that the target bit rate for the frame is achieved while maintaining a uniform visual quality over the entire frame.

Abstract: A stream based bitrate transcoder for MPEG bitstreams that utilizes information extracted from MPEG bitstreams, such as picture-type, coding complexity, motion vector and MB-mode. Using this information, a stream-based bitrate conversion of rhythm is realized. DCT coefficients are dropped with regard to two components, specifically, picture/MB-level classification and motion reference calculation.

Abstract: A drift reduction method and apparatus. Drift reduction is effected in an MPEG video transcoder by decoding dropped out pixels to form a drift reference frame. The quantization indices in the current macro-block are changed accordingly in a drift reduction process. The compensated quantized frame is then variable length coded to an MPEG bitstream.

Abstract: A generic spatially scalable shape encoding apparatus and method for deriving shape information for chrominance components from luminance component. The present generic spatially-scalable shape encoding applies a series of subband (e.g., wavelet) filters to obtain N-levels of wavelet decomposition for the texture information of both luminance and chrominance components. The application of the corresponding subsampling filters of said subband filters is applied in a manner such that the shape of the chrominance can be derived from the shape of the luminance at the same spatial layer.

Abstract: A system and method for editing a bitstream is provided. A first segment is cut from a first bitstream and a second segment is cut from a second bitstream. In cutting the segments from the bitstreams, first and last GOPs in the segments can be cut between frames in the GOP. The number of frames of the broken GOP is then compared to a pre-determined threshold value. If the number of frames of the broken GOP is less than or equal to the threshold value, the broken GOP is combined with a neighboring GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is longer than the standard size regular GOP. However, if the number of frames in the broken GOP is greater than the threshold value, a new GOP is created with the frames of the broken GOP. Therefore, the newly created GOP is shorter than the standard size regular GOP.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recursively optimizing the rate control of a hierarchical subband coding system that offers spatial, quality and/or complexity scalabilities. The rate control method recursively adjusts the quantizer scale for each layer of a subband tree, i.e., a subband decomposed image.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for encoding wavelet trees in a wavelet-based coding technique, which the use of band dependent tables to address specific bands of the wavelet tree addresses.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for encoding wavelet trees to generate bitstreams with flexible degrees of spatial, quality and complexity scalabilities. The zerotree entropy (ZTE) encoding method is extended to achieve a fully scalable coding method by implementing a multiscale zerotree coding scheme.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for encoding wavelet trees in a wavelet-based coding technique using backward predictive coding of wavelet transformed coefficients, which addresses both balanced and unbalanced wavelet trees and increases the overall coding efficiency.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for encoding wavelet trees in a wavelet-based coding technique, which addresses both balanced and unbalanced wavelet trees and increases the overall coding efficiency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a quantizer scale for each object within a frame to optimize the coding rate is disclosed. A quantizer scale is selected for each region or "object" within each frame such that the target bit rate for the frame is achieved while maintaining a uniform visual quality over the entire frame.