Abstract: Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for real-time high definition television encoding. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for encoding video data. The method comprises receiving an estimates of amounts of data for encoding earlier pictures; providing target rates based on the estimates of data for encoding the earlier pictures; receiving measures indicative of the actual data for encoding the earlier pictures; and providing at least one target rate for encoding at least one later picture based on the target rates for encoding the earlier pictures and the measures indicative of the actual data for encoding the earlier pictures.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems that create numerous high-quality output streams at different spatial or temporal resolutions from a single input stream. An input stream is transcoded at a first transcoder module to provide N output streams, wherein each of the N output streams comprises different versions of the input stream. Parameters are obtained during transcoding of the input stream and provided to a second transcoder module together with the input stream. The input stream may be transcoded at the second transcoder module to produce M output streams based on the parameters received from the first transcoder module. The parameters received from the first transcoder module may be used to enhance the transcoding at the second transcoder module.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for parallel processing video data. The system having parallel encoder devices can create a balance between quality of service and delay. In order to maintain quality, compression parameters in a group of pictures can be produced by one encoder device and used by another encoder device for estimation during the encoding of another group of pictures. Compression parameters of different picture types may be stored separately and used for the encoding of a future pictures of the same type. The generation and passing of compression parameters introduces a delay based on the time it takes to encode one or more pictures.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems that create numerous high-quality output streams at different spatial or temporal resolutions from a single input stream. An input stream is transcoded at a first transcoder module to provide N output streams, wherein each of the N output streams comprises different versions of the input stream. Parameters are obtained during transcoding of the input stream and provided to a second transcoder module together with the input stream. The input stream may be transcoded at the second transcoder module to produce M output streams based on the parameters received from the first transcoder module. The parameters received from the first transcoder module may be used to enhance the transcoding at the second transcoder module.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a bit count estimator and a quantization selector. The bit count estimator receives an input to an encoder and generates a bit count estimate. The bit count estimate is an approximation of a bit count at an output of the encoder. The quantization selector sets a quantization value based on the bit count estimate.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for real-time high definition television encoding. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for encoding video data. The method comprises receiving an estimates of amounts of data for encoding earlier pictures; providing target rates based on the estimates of data for encoding the earlier pictures; receiving measures indicative of the actual data for encoding the earlier pictures; and providing at least one target rate for encoding at least one later picture based on the target rates for encoding the earlier pictures and the measures indicative of the actual data for encoding the earlier pictures.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for parallel processing video data. The system having parallel encoder devices can create a balance between quality of service and delay. In order to maintain quality, compression parameters in a group of pictures can be produced by one encoder device and used by another encoder device for estimation during the encoding of another group of pictures. Compression parameters of different picture types may be stored separately and used for the encoding of a future pictures of the same type. The generation and passing of compression parameters introduces a delay based on the time it takes to encode one or more pictures.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a complexity estimator, a quantization level selector, a complexity generator, and a complexity estimate updater. The complexity estimator generates a complexity metric estimate. The quantization level selector sets a quantization level based on the complexity metric estimate. The complexity generator generates an actual complexity metric. The complexity estimate updater generates an updated complexity metric estimate based on a difference between the complexity metric estimate and the actual complexity metric.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for parallel processing video data. The system having parallel encoder devices can create a balance between quality of service and delay. In order to maintain quality, compression parameters in a group of pictures can be produced by one encoder device and used by another encoder device for estimation during the encoding of another group of pictures. Compression parameters of different picture types may be stored separately and used for the encoding of a future pictures of the same type. The generation and passing of compression parameters introduces a delay based on the time it takes to encode one or more pictures.

Abstract: Described herein is a video encoder that includes a memory unit, a selector, and an encoding processor. The memory unit stores a plurality of pictures. The selector accesses the plurality of pictures in the memory unit. The selector initially accesses a first picture, followed by another picture, followed by one or more pictures. The one or more pictures are presented to the video encoder between the first picture and the another picture. The encoding processor encodes the first picture independently, then encodes the another picture independently, and finally, the one or more pictures are encoded. The output of the encoding processor is a first coded picture, another coded picture, and one or more coded pictures respectively.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for parallel processing video data. The system having parallel encoder devices can create a balance between quality of service and delay. In order to maintain quality, compression parameters in a group of pictures can be produced by one encoder device and used by another encoder device for estimation during the encoding of another group of pictures. Compression parameters of different picture types may be stored separately and used for the encoding of a future pictures of the same type. The generation and passing of compression parameters introduces a delay based on the time it takes to encode one or more pictures.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a bit count estimator and a quantization selector. The bit count estimator receives an input to an encoder and generates a bit count estimate. The bit count estimate is an approximation of a bit count at an output of the encoder. The quantization selector sets a quantization value based on the bit count estimate.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a complexity estimator, a quantization level selector, a complexity generator, and a complexity estimate updater. The complexity estimator generates a complexity metric estimate. The quantization level selector sets a quantization level based on the complexity metric estimate. The complexity generator generates an actual complexity metric. The complexity estimate updater generates an updated complexity metric estimate based on a difference between the complexity metric estimate and the actual complexity metric.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a bit count estimator and a quantization selector. The bit count estimator receives an input to an encoder and generates a bit count estimate. The bit count estimate is an approximation of a bit count at an output of the encoder. The quantization selector sets a quantization value based on the bit count estimate.

Abstract: Described herein is a video system with adaptive buffering comprising a video encoder and a motion estimator is presented. The motion estimator classifies content of one or more pictures. The video encoder allocates an amount of data for encoding another one or more pictures based on the content of the one or more pictures. The another one or more pictures follow the one or more pictures.

Abstract: Described herein is a video encoder that includes a memory unit, a selector, and an encoding processor. The memory unit stores a plurality of pictures. The selector accesses the plurality of pictures in the memory unit. The selector initially accesses a first picture, followed by another picture, followed by one or more pictures. The one or more pictures are presented to the video encoder between the first picture and the another picture. The encoding processor encodes the first picture independently, then encodes the another picture independently, and finally, the one or more pictures are encoded. The output of the encoding processor is a first coded picture, another coded picture, and one or more coded pictures respectively.

Abstract: In a video processing system, a method and system for parametric video quality equalization in selective re-encoding are provided. A frequency of compression occurrence for a picture coding type may be compared to a threshold level to determine whether virtual encoding through selective re-encoding is to be enabled. A current picture may be encoded using picture coding type N and may be re-encoded using picture coding type M when selective re-encoding is enabled. Bits, distortion, and quantizer scales from a re-encoded picture may be matched to corresponding values in previously re-encoded pictures to generate at least one compression variation parameter ? or at least one information parameter ?. Parameters ? or ? may be compared to corresponding threshold levels to determine whether a signal may be sent to enable a selective re-encoding path for generating virtually encoded pictures and increase the frequency of compression occurrence.

Abstract: In a video processing system, a method and system for equalizing video quality using selective re-encoding are provided. Increasing the occurrence frequency of intra-coded pictures may improve video encoding quality by optimizing a target bit-budget for a specified group-of-pictures structure. Selected predictive and/or bidirectional-predictive pictures may be re-encoded as virtual intra-coded pictures to increase the occurrence frequency of intra-coded pictures. The virtual intra-coded pictures may not be placed in a bit stream output but may be utilized to generate statistical information to determine the frequency of occurrence of available picture coding types. The generated statistical information may be utilized to modify a target picture bits estimation model and may be also be utilized by a picture quality equalizer to configure a selective re-encoding path for re-encoding the selected pictures.

Abstract: A de-interlacing architecture is taught. The de-interlacing architecture adopts a perceptual model to measure membership probabilities for a collection of image samples of an interlaced video source with respect to extracted static, motion, and texture image components of the same collection. The probabilities are used to prioritize contributions from the three image components and produce a progressive video sequence which is a summation of the portions of the aforementioned components. The perceptual model uses a dual-stage motion-based image difficulty measuring scheme to equalize contributions from the three image components in a manner that video artifacts in the output signal are least perceptive. A parameter mapping technique composed of several logic units, a decision function, a weight assignment block, and a look-up table, will be presented to derive the final component weights.

Abstract: A frequency domain data management technique for producing pseudo-constant bits per picture compressed video bit-streams in a low delay digital encoding environment is presented. This technique forms a hierarchy among the localized samples of the picture in terms of frequency importance and the picture difficulty after a shot-change is detected. After a shot change, the data management technique implements a series of tasks composed of picture difficulty evaluation, frequency classification, frequency constraining, and zero bytes generation to achieve a pre-determined average picture bits. Further, the low delay encoder uses a unique updating mechanism to encode certain regions of the pictures in intra mode and ensures that the whole picture is updated after a pre-selected number of pictures.