Abstract: A method and apparatus stores media content in a variety of storage devices, with at least a portion of the storage devices having different performance characteristics. The system can deliver media to a large number of clients while maintaining a high level of viewing experience for each client by automatically adapting the bit rate of a media being delivered to a client using the client's last mile bit rate variation. The system provides clients with smooth viewing of video without buffering stops. The client does not need a custom video content player to communicate with the system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus stores media content in a variety of storage devices, with at least a portion of the storage devices having different performance characteristics. The system can deliver media to a large number of clients while maintaining a high level of viewing experience for each client by automatically adapting the bit rate of a media being delivered to a client using the client's last mile bit rate variation. The system provides clients with smooth viewing of video without buffering stops. The client does not need a custom video content player to communicate with the system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for hierarchical bi-directional intra-prediction in a video encoder is described. In some examples, initial reference blocks are selected in an image. Sets of blocks in the image are predicted successively over a plurality of stages based on a respectively plurality of templates, each of the plurality of templates including reference blocks selected from at least one of: the initial reference blocks; or previously encoded and reconstructed blocks of the image. The image is encoded in the video encoder using the initial reference blocks and the sets of blocks as predicted.

Abstract: The currently existing ISO/AVC file format is modified by providing extensions to store and access video content currently being defined by the SVC standard. Specifically, extensions to the AVC file format are made to provide a new SVC file format that enables the storage and access of scalable video data. The scalable video data is stored as a single track within a media data section of the SVC file format. New extensions are defined for description entries and boxes within a metadata section of the SVC file format. These extensions provide means for extracting sub-streams or layers from the single track of scalable video data stored in the media data section.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for spatial encoding of intra-predictions for a current block of a video sequence without the need to average across a number of best template matches. The encoder identifies and sorts the best template matches for the current block within previously coded and reconstructed blocks which neighbor the current block of video. In response to determining actual predictive error for the sorted list of matches, a selector is generated identifying which of the sorted templates is optimal. The selector is then communicated for receipt by the decoder, which is adapted for performing the same template matching and sorting, which is followed by selection of the optimum candidate in response to using the selector. In response to the selector information the decoder can provide optimum template matching without the compromise or overhead of taking averages across the best template candidates.

Abstract: A codec configured to operate in a sequential mode extends the current AVC standard in order to provide support for coding high resolution still image pictures within the AVC coding of a lower resolution video. The sequential mode codec is configured according to the modified AVC standard. The codec is capable of capturing an AVC video stream while concurrently capturing high resolution still images at random intervals relative to the video stream. Each captured high resolution still image is embedded within the video stream. The video stream including the embedded high resolution still images is encoded as a single layer bit stream. Each embedded high resolution still image signals or forces the start of a new GOP in the coded video sequence. The AVC standard is extended to include new syntax for the sequence parameter sets. In one embodiment, a modified sequence parameter set defines a new profile that signals the presence of a high resolution still image in sequence with AVC video.

Abstract: An apparatus or method of efficiently coding high resolution video using texture analysis and synthesis techniques in a scalable video coding framework. A high-resolution video signal is spatially downsampled and encoded into a base-layer. Texture and structure information are extracted from the downsampled signal and base-layer for use by a texture synthesizer. The texture synthesizer is structurally and texturally aware utilizing edge information from a base-layer of the synthesizer to improve synthesis. After synthesis, a video quality assessor directs enhancement-layer coding of unacceptably synthesized areas by alternate (non-textural) coding means, such as conventional AVC or MPEG-2 coding. In one mode, the quality assessor iteratively improves synthesis of certain blocks to make them acceptable for enhancement-layer coding. The apparatus or method outputs a bit stream, or bit streams, containing both the coded base-layer and the enhancement-layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to encoding and decoding descriptions of multimedia content in two formats using access units. The invention further relates to dynamically updating multimedia description using access units and to supporting the delivery of distributed multimedia descriptions.

Abstract: An encoding system includes a video coding layer (VCL) to generate slices when encoding multimedia data, a generic adaptation layer (GAL) to create, from the slices, a set of GAL units having a format that is generic to various transport systems, and a network adaptation layer (NAL) associated with a specific transport system to map the set of GAL units to the format of the specific transport system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for intra-prediction in a video encoder are described. An aspect relates to a method of intra-prediction for a group of samples in an image being coded. In some examples, the method includes: defining a target template for the group of samples; comparing the target template with affine transformations of candidate templates within a search area of the image; identifying at least one matching template of the candidate templates as matching the target template; determining a candidate group of samples based on the at least one matching template; and coding the group of samples using the candidate group of samples as a predictor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for hierarchical bi-directional intra-prediction in a video encoder is described. In some examples, initial reference blocks are selected in an image. Sets of blocks in the image are predicted successively over a plurality of stages based on a respectively plurality of templates, each of the plurality of templates including reference blocks selected from at least one of: the initial reference blocks; or previously encoded and reconstructed blocks of the image. The image is encoded in the video encoder using the initial reference blocks and the sets of blocks as predicted.

Abstract: The currently existing ISO/AVC file format is modified by providing extensions to store and access video content currently being defined by the SVC standard. Specifically, extensions to the AVC file format are made to provide a new SVC file format that enables the storage and access of scalable video data. The scalable video data is stored as a single track within a media data section of the SVC file format. New extensions are defined for description entries and boxes within a metadata section of the SVC file format. These extensions provide means for extracting sub-streams or layers from the single track of scalable video data stored in the media data section.

Abstract: The currently existing ISO/AVC file format is modified by providing extensions to store and access video content currently being defined by the SVC standard. Specifically, extensions to the AVC file format are made to provide a new SVC file format that enables the storage and access of scalable video data. The scalable video data is stored as a single track within a media data section of the SVC file format. New extensions are defined for description entries and boxes within a metadata section of the SVC file format. These extensions provide means for extracting sub-streams or layers from the single track of scalable video data stored in the media data section.

Abstract: A method and apparatus stores media content in a variety of storage devices, with at least a portion of the storage devices having different performance characteristics. The system can deliver media to a large number of clients while maintaining a high level of viewing experience for each client by automatically adapting the bit rate of a media being delivered to a client using the client's last mile bit rate variation. The system provides clients with smooth viewing of video without buffering stops. The client does not need a custom video content player to communicate with the system.

Abstract: The currently existing ISO/AVC file format is modified by providing extensions to store and access video content currently being defined by the SVC standard. Specifically, extensions to the AVC file format are made to provide a new SVC file format that enables the storage and access of scalable video data. The scalable video data is stored as a single track within a media data section of the SVC file format. New extensions are defined for description entries and boxes within a metadata section of the SVC file format. These extensions provide means for extracting sub-streams or layers from the single track of scalable video data stored in the media data section.

Abstract: A hybrid imaging device is configured to capture low resolution video and high resolution still images. The imaging device is configured to apply motion information obtained from the low resolution video to a reference high resolution still image to generate a missing moment of interest high resolution still image. The low-resolution video is captured at a high frame rate in conjunction with a few high-resolution still pictures taken at periodic intervals. A user locates a desired scene of interest, e.g. a moment of interest, from the captured video, and a post-processing technique is used to generate the high resolution still picture corresponding to the selected moment of interest. The high resolution still image is generated using texture information from one or more nearby captured high resolution still images and motion information from the low-resolution video frame corresponding to the selected moment of interest.

Abstract: Switch sample metadata defining switch sample sets associated with multimedia data is created. Each switch sample set includes samples that have identical decoding values. Further, a file associated with the multimedia data is formed. This file includes the switch sample metadata, as well as other information pertaining to the multimedia data.

Abstract: A codec configured to operate in a parallel mode extends the current AVC standard in order to provide support for coding and storage of high resolution still image pictures in parallel with the AVC coding of a lower resolution video. The parallel mode codec is configured according to the modified AVC standard and is capable of capturing an AVC video stream while concurrently capturing high resolution still images at random intervals of the video stream. Residual information stored as an enhancement layer, is used to generate one or more high resolution still images pictures using the up-sampled decoded lower resolution video at the decoder side. A base layer carries lower resolution video. The enhancement layer and the base layer are transmitted in parallel, as a multi-layer stream, from an encoder on the transmission side to a decoder at the receiving side.

Abstract: A codec configured to operate in a sequential mode extends the current AVC standard in order to provide support for coding high resolution still image pictures within the AVC coding of a lower resolution video. The sequential mode codec is configured according to the modified AVC standard. The codec is capable of capturing an AVC video stream while concurrently capturing high resolution still images at random intervals relative to the video stream. Each captured high resolution still image is embedded within the video stream. The video stream including the embedded high resolution still images is encoded as a single layer bit stream. Each embedded high resolution still image signals or forces the start of a new GOP in the coded video sequence. The AVC standard is extended to include new syntax for the sequence parameter sets. In one embodiment, a modified sequence parameter set defines a new profile that signals the presence of a high resolution still image in sequence with AVC video.

Abstract: A hybrid imaging device is configured to capture low resolution video and high resolution still images. The imaging device is configured to apply motion information obtained from the low resolution video to a reference high resolution still image to generate a missing moment of interest high resolution still image. The low-resolution video is captured at a high frame rate in conjunction with a few high-resolution still pictures taken at periodic intervals. A user locates a desired scene of interest, e.g. a moment of interest, from the captured video, and a post-processing technique is used to generate the high resolution still picture corresponding to the selected moment of interest. The high resolution still image is generated using texture information from one or more nearby captured high resolution still images and motion information from the low-resolution video frame corresponding to the selected moment of interest.