Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for providing optimized quantization matrices are disclosed herein. An example apparatus may include an encoder. The encoder may be configured to provide a plurality of coefficients based, at least in part, on a frame and to provide an optimized quantization weight matrix based, at least in part, on the plurality of coefficients during a first encoding pass. The encoder may further be configured to quantize the plurality of coefficients in accordance with the optimized quantization weight matrix during a second encoding pass different than the first encoding pass.

Abstract: The present invention discloses how a transcoder may be used to reduce the bit rate of an MPEG-2 stream by transmitting only the visible area of the movie specified by pan-scan directives. Because the pan-scan conversion is performed prior to transmission, not immediately before display, the non-viewed portion of video does not need to be transmitted.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, decompressed video signals are upscaled and then filtered using a combined mosquito noise reduction (MNR) and aliasing coring filter that reduces both mosquito noise in the decompressed video signals as well as aliasing noise resulting from the upscaling process. In one implementation, the combined coring filter includes a dual-band filter having two passbands interleaved with two stopbands. The strength of the coring filter may be dynamically controlled based on compression information (e.g., quantizer scales indicative of video quality) associated with the compressed video bitstream from which the decompressed video is recovered.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

Abstract: This invention discloses a fast two-dimensional inverse Discrete Cosine Transform (iDCT) that adapts to compressed video source statistics to reduce execution time. iDCT algorithms for sparse blocks eliminate calculations for some zero coefficients and are implemented with quad-word parallel single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) multimedia instructions. It is observed that end-of-block marker value histograms vary little within single shots. An adaptive control mechanism is proposed that selects the optimal set of iDCTs to prepare for an entire shot from its first frames (to reduce software overheads and penalties). This introduces no degradation of decoded video quality as compared with a conventional SIMD 8×8 iDCT implemented with Intel MMX instructions.

Abstract: A method for implementing B-frame prediction in video compression comprising the steps of (A) setting a prediction flag (i) “off” if B-frames are used for block prediction and (ii) “on” if B-frames are not used for block prediction, (B) if the prediction flag is off, generating an output video signal in response to an input video signal by performing an inverse quantization step and an inverse transform step in accordance with a predefined coding specification and (C) if the prediction flag is on, bypassing the inverse quantization step and the inverse transform step.

Abstract: A method for contour reduction in a digital picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) buffering a plurality of luma samples in a current line of the digital picture, each of the luma samples having a respective input value, (B) calculating a plurality of horizontal sum-of-signs along the current line, wherein each of the horizontal sum-of-signs comprises a sum of a plurality of amplitude differences between pairs the luma samples from the current line and (C) generating a plurality of output value based on the horizontal sum-of-signs, one of the output values for each one of the luma samples.

Abstract: A method for display compositing is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of respective color values and a plurality of respective blending values for a plurality of graphics pixels to be blended with a display picture, (B) examining in a sequence a plurality of neighboring pixels of the graphics pixels adjoining a current pixel of the graphics pixels, the current pixel having a current color value of the respective color values and a current blending value of the respective blending values and (C) replacing the current color value with the respective color value for a particular pixel of the neighboring pixels where (i) the respective blending value for the particular pixel comprises one of a plurality of non-transparent values and (ii) the current blending value comprises one of at least one transparent value.

Abstract: A method for detecting progressive material in a video sequence is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a plurality of block statistics for each of a plurality of blocks in a current field of the video sequence, (B) calculating a plurality of field statistics by summing the block statistics over all of the blocks in the current field, (C) calculating a noise level for the current field based on a subset of the block statistics from each of the blocks and (D) generating a mode flag for the current field based on both (i) the field statistics and (ii) the noise level, wherein the mode flag identifies if the current field is part of a 2:2 pull-down pattern.

Abstract: A method for detecting moving interlaced text in a video sequence originating through telecine is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking a motion condition of a current block in a current field in the video sequence for motion both (i) from a previous field in the video sequence to the current field and (ii) from the current field to a next field in the video sequence, (B) checking an artifact condition of the current block for a plurality of symmetric interlaced artifacts in both (i) a forward temporal direction and (ii) a backward temporal direction and (C) asserting a block motion indicator for the current block if all of (i) the motion condition is true and (ii) the artifact condition is true.

Abstract: A method for inverse telecine. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking if a current field of a plurality of fields in a video sequence repeats in the video sequence according to a pattern-based approach where the current field fits a telecine pattern, (B) checking if the current field repeats according to a first pattern-less approach where the current field complies with at least one of a plurality of rules and (C) generating a signal for an encoder in (i) an asserted state if the current field repeats and (ii) a deasserted state if the current field does not repeat.

Abstract: A method for filtering digital video is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking a plurality of original blocks in an original field for a plurality of artifacts, wherein detection of the artifacts is based on an adjustable threshold, (B) first filtering each of the original blocks having at least one of the artifacts to remove the at least one artifact and (C) second filtering each of the original blocks lacking at least one of the artifacts to remove noise, wherein the second filtering is (i) motion compensated and (ii) adaptive to a respective noise level in each of the original blocks.

Abstract: A method for inverse telecine. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking if a current field of a plurality of fields in a video sequence repeats in the video sequence according to a pattern-based approach where the current field fits a telecine pattern, (B) checking if the current field repeats according to a first pattern-less approach where the current field complies with at least one of a plurality of rules and (C) generating a signal for an encoder in (i) an asserted state if the current field repeats and (ii) a deasserted state if the current field does not repeat.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit, a second circuit, and a watermark detection circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a bitstream, wherein the bitstream comprises a watermark message which represents hidden information. The second circuit may be configured to (i) simulate film grain in response to one or more predetermined values on the watermark message and (ii) generate a video output. The watermark detection circuit may be configured to extract hidden information from the decoded video output.

Abstract: A method for transcoding from a VC-1 format to an MPEG-2 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the VC-1 format to generate a picture; (B) determining a first mode indicator for the picture; and (C) coding the picture into an output video stream in the MPEG-2 format using one of (i) an MPEG-2 field mode coding and (ii) an MPEG-2 frame mode coding as determined from the first mode indicator.

Abstract: A method for transcoding from an H.264 format to a VC-1 format. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the H.264 format to generate a picture having a plurality of macroblock pairs that used an H.264 macroblock adaptive field/frame coding; (B) determining a mode indicator for each of the macroblock pairs; and (C) coding the macroblock pairs into an output video stream in the VC-1 format using one of (i) a VC-1 field motion compensation mode coding and (ii) a VC-1 frame motion compensation mode coding as determined from the mode indicator.

Abstract: A method for transcoding from an MPEG-2 format to a VC-1 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the MPEG-2 format to generate a picture; (B) determining a mode indicator for the picture; and (C) coding the picture into an output video stream in the VC-1 format using one of (i) a VC-1 field mode coding and (ii) a VC-1 frame mode coding as determined from the mode indicator.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an encoder circuit, a recordable medium, and a decoder circuit. The encoder circuit may be configured to generate (i) a first recordable signal and (ii) a second recordable signal in response to an input bitstream having program information and commercial information. The recordable medium may be configured to record the first and second recordable signals and present an intermediate signal containing program information and transition information. The decoder circuit may be configured to generate an output signal in response to the intermediate signal. The decoder circuit uses the transition information within the intermediate signal to detect or skip the commercial information.

Abstract: A method for transcoding from an MPEG-2 format to an H.264 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the MPEG-2 format to generate a plurality of macroblocks; (B) determining a plurality of indicators from a pair of the macroblocks, the pair of the macroblocks being vertically adjoining; and (C) coding the pair of the macroblocks into an output video stream in the H.264 format using one of (i) a field mode coding and (ii) a frame mode coding as determined from the indicators.

Abstract: A method for transcoding from an H.264 format to an MPEG-2 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the H.264 format to generate a picture having a plurality of macroblock pairs that used an H.264 macroblock adaptive field/frame coding; (B) determining a mode indicator for each of the macroblock pairs; and (C) coding the macroblock pairs into an output video stream in the MPEG-2 format using one of (i) an MPEG-2 field mode coding and (ii) an MPEG-2 frame mode coding as determined from the mode indicators.