Abstract: A receiving apparatus comprises a receiver for receiving a video signal, an output for outputting the video signal to a screen, storage device or further terminal; and a concealment module for applying a concealment algorithm to a lost area of the video signal. The concealment module is configured to determine an estimate of concealment quality selectively directed toward a region of interest within the area in question, and based on this estimate to determine whether or not to apply the concealment algorithm.

Abstract: An encoder comprising an encoding module and an adaptation module. The encoding module is configured to encode video in at least one region-of-interest and outside the region-of-interest. The encoding comprises quantization, and the encoding module is operable to apply a difference in quantization granularity between the encoding inside and outside the region-of-interest. The adaptation module is configured to determine at least one metric representative of a difference in benefit of the quantization inside and outside the region-of-interest, and to adapt the difference in quantization granularity in dependence on this metric.

Abstract: A user terminal for participating in video calls comprises: an encoder having a frame size, being the size in pixels at which it encodes frames of video; and a pre-processing stage which supplies a sequence of frames to the encoder at that frame size, each frame comprising at least an image region representing a source video image at a respective moment in time. The pre-processing stage is configured to supply at least some of the frames to the encoder in a modified form, by resizing the source video image to produce the image region of each modified frame with a size smaller than the frame size of the encoder, and combining with a border region such that the modified frame matches the frame size of the encoder. The encoder encodes the frames at the frame size and transmits them to a receiving terminal as part of a live video call.

Abstract: An encoder comprising an encoding module and an adaptation module. The encoding module is configured to encode video in at least one region-of-interest and outside the region-of-interest. The encoding comprises quantization, and the encoding module is operable to apply a difference in quantization granularity between the encoding inside and outside the region-of-interest. The adaptation module is configured to determine at least one metric representative of a difference in benefit of the quantization inside and outside the region-of-interest, and to adapt the difference in quantization granularity in dependence on this metric.

Abstract: An encoder comprising an encoding module and an adaptation module. The encoding module is configured to encode video in at least one region-of-interest and outside the region-of-interest. The encoding comprises quantization, and the encoding module is operable to apply a difference in quantization granularity between the encoding inside and outside the region-of-interest. The adaptation module is configured to determine at least one metric representative of a difference in benefit of the quantization inside and outside the region-of-interest, and to adapt the difference in quantization granularity in dependence on this metric.

Abstract: A user terminal for participating in video calls comprises: an encoder having a frame size, being the size in pixels at which it encodes frames of video; and a pre-processing stage which supplies a sequence of frames to the encoder at that frame size, each frame comprising at least an image region representing a source video image at a respective moment in time. The pre-processing stage is configured to supply at least some of the frames to the encoder in a modified form, by resizing the source video image to produce the image region of each modified frame with a size smaller than the frame size of the encoder, and combining with a border region such that the modified frame matches the frame size of the encoder. The encoder encodes the frames at the frame size and transmits them to a receiving terminal as part of a live video call.

Abstract: An encoder comprising an encoding module and an adaptation module. The encoding module is configured to encode video in at least one region-of-interest and outside the region-of-interest. The encoding comprises quantization, and the encoding module is operable to apply a difference in quantization granularity between the encoding inside and outside the region-of-interest. The adaptation module is configured to determine at least one metric representative of a difference in benefit of the quantization inside and outside the region-of-interest, and to adapt the difference in quantization granularity in dependence on this metric.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding video data, the apparatus comprising a compliance module configured to compare a resource requirement associated with encoding video data to form at least part of an encoded frame using a standard encoding mode with an acceptable resource level and an encoder configured to, responsive to a determination that the resource requirement will exceed the acceptable resource level, form the at least part of an encoded frame by encoding some of the video data using the standard encoding mode and filling a remainder of the at least part of the encoded frame with data that is associated with a lower resource usage than data generated using the standard encoding mode.

Abstract: An input receives a video signal comprising a plurality of frames, each comprising a plurality of image portions. Each of the image portions is encoded by an encoder, to generate an encoded signal. An adaptation module selects a respective encoding mode used to encode each of the image portions. The selection is based on a process that balances an estimate of distortion for the image portion if encoded using the respective encoding mode and a bitrate that would be incurred by encoding the image portion using the respective encoding mode. The adaptation module is also configured to determine, within each of one or more frames of the video signal, at least two different regions having different perceptual significance, and to adapt the above-mentioned process in dependence on which of the regions the image portion being encoded is in.