Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with processing video data are described. According to one embodiment, a device comprises a video processor for processing a digital video stream by at least identifying a facial boundary within images of the digital video stream. A combiner selectively applies a digital film grain to the images based on the facial boundary.

Abstract: A multi-purpose scaler utilizes a vertical scaler module and a moveable horizontal scaler module to resample a video signal either vertically or horizontally according to a selected scaling ratio. The moveable horizontal scaler module resides in one of two slots within the multi-purpose scaler architecture to provide either horizontal reduction or horizontal expansion as desired. The multi-purpose scaler is arranged to scale the video using non-linear 3 zone scaling in both the vertical and horizontal direction when selected. The multi-purpose scaler is arranged to provide vertical keystone correction and vertical height distortion correction when the video is presented through a projector at a non-zero tilt angle. The multi-purpose scaler is also arranged to provide interlacing and de-interlacing of the video frames as necessary.

Abstract: The color remapping system places axes on the Cb-Cr color plane to differentiate and isolate colors of interest. Each axis has a programmable position, hue change value and saturation change value. Input pixels from the video data stream are calibrated with respect to the axes and enhanced based upon the two neighboring axes adjacent to the input pixels. The system can be reconfigured in real time by repositioning the axes and changing their hue and saturation change values. The system is easy to program and reconfigure and provides visually pleasing enhancements to the digital video.

Abstract: A color management unit is architected to achieve higher-quality appearance used in various video formats and to enable improvements in picture contrast and colorfulness. The color management unit comprises an optional input color space converter to convert the input digital video to a desired color space, an adaptive contrast enhancer to apply contrast improvement algorithms in response to different scenes in either manual or automatic modes, intelligent color remapping for enhancing selected colors, sRGB compliance to produce a video display that is uniform over different monitors, global color and brightness controls to combine global processing and color conversion, gamut compression to maintain pixel validity in color space conversion, and gamma correction to compensate for nonlinear characteristics of an output display.

Abstract: High-frequency noise is generated that approximates the appearance of traditional “film grain” for a digital video signal. By adding a relatively small amount of film grain noise, the video can be made to look more natural and more pleasing to the human viewer. The digital film grain generation can be used to mask unnatural smooth artifacts in digital video such as “blockiness” and “contouring” in the case of compressed video and/or used to provide visual enhancements or special effects to any digital video stream. The digital film grain generator can control grain size and the amount of film grain to be added.

Abstract: System and methods for gamut bounded saturation adaptive color enhancement are provided. Color enhancement incorporating gamut bounded saturation enhances colors of an pixel from a source color gamut such that the resulting color is within a target color gamut. This resulting color may, for example, take advantage of an expanded target color gamut of a display. Gamut bounded saturation may be implemented independently or in combination with RGB bounded saturation.

Abstract: To improve contrast ratio of the image on a backlit display plane such as a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), each area of the image that has separately controllable backlight may be given full backlight until an average or composite brightness of the image in that area is less than a threshold value at which light leakage through the image from full-strength backlight begins to be noticable by a viewer. For image areas with composite brightness less than that threshold, backlight brightness may be reduced in proportion to how much below the threshold the area's composite image brightness is. Backlight brightness may also be adjusted for other image aspects such as (1) the presence of bright pixels in an otherwise relatively dark area, (2) whether the area is adjacent to one or more other areas in which the image information is in motion, and/or (3) time-averaging of image information over several successive frames of such information.

Abstract: A video noise reducer reduces the noise artifacts in a video signal. The video noise reducer is reconfigurable to provide spatial noise reduction and temporal noise reduction in either a parallel or cascade architecture. The video noise reducer is self-calibrating by providing estimation modules that estimate the amount of noise in the video signal and a noise injector that confirms the measurement against a known quantity of noise. The video noise reducer is adaptive to solutions in hardware or a combination of hardware and firmware. The video noise reducer is also optimized for efficient memory usage in interlaced video signal processing applications.

Abstract: A system including a quality estimation module configured to estimate a visual quality of video content based on data from a decoder module. The system further including a settings database configured to store a plurality of predetermined settings. The settings database outputs at least one of the predetermined settings in response to the visual quality. The system further including a video post-processor module configured to automatically adjust settings of the video post-processor module based on the at least one of the predetermined settings. The video content is processed based on the settings of the video post-processor module that were automatically adjusted.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and other embodiments associated with cadence detection are discussed. In one embodiment, an apparatus analyzes a progressive video stream and determines a cadence pattern from the progressive video stream.

Abstract: High-frequency noise is generated that approximates the appearance of traditional “film grain” for a digital video signal. By adding a relatively small amount of film grain noise, the video can be made to look more natural and more pleasing to the human viewer. The digital film grain generation can be used to mask unnatural smooth artifacts in digital video such as “blockiness” and “contouring” in the case of compressed video and/or used to provide visual enhancements or special effects to any digital video stream. The digital film grain generator can control grain size and the amount of film grain to be added.

Abstract: A color management unit is architected to achieve higher-quality appearance used in various video formats and to enable improvements in picture contrast and colorfulness. The color management unit comprises an optional input color space converter to convert the input digital video to a desired color space, an adaptive contrast enhancer to apply contrast improvement algorithms in response to different scenes in either manual or automatic modes, intelligent color remapping for enhancing selected colors, sRGB compliance to produce a video display that is uniform over different monitors, global color and brightness controls to combine global processing and color conversion, gamut compression to maintain pixel validity in color space conversion, and gamma correction to compensate for nonlinear characteristics of an output display.

Abstract: A vector interpolator optimizes the conversion of an interlaced signal to a non-interlaced signal. The vector interpolator improves the visual clarity of slanted features in a displayed image by adjusting the luminance value of each pixel such that the appearance of “steps” or “jaggies” in the features is reduced. For each pixel, the vector interpolator determines a similarity measure for the pixels within a predetermined area around the pixel. From the similarity measure, an angle for interpolation is selected. The luminance value is then interpolated along the selected vector corresponding to the angle and applied to the pixel.

Abstract: The intelligent saturation controller calculates the exact maximum saturation any valid YCbCr pixel can undergo before it becomes invalid in RGB space. The controller models the saturation operation in RGB color space and calculates the maximum saturation level at which the RGB values falls outside the valid range. The saturation operation is performed independently for every pixel of the incoming video frame and ensures that each output pixel is a valid. The controller finds the maximum saturation for each input pixel and checks whether it is less than the input saturation factor. If so, then this calculated maximum saturation value is applied. If not, the input saturation factor is applied. Accordingly, the output RGB pixels are valid and no clamping is necessary if no other video processing is done in YCbCr space. Increasing the saturation of the video signal results in a more vivid and more colorful picture.

Abstract: Devices, systems, apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with bit resolution enhancement are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes logic configured to produce a high-resolution pixel from a low-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to classify the high-resolution pixel as being in a smooth region of an image based on at least one of a gradient value and a variance value associated with the low-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to selectively re-classify the high-resolution pixel as not being in the smooth region of the image based on a set of neighboring high-resolution pixels associated with high-resolution pixel. The apparatus includes logic configured to selectively filter the high-resolution pixel based on whether the high-resolution pixel remains classified as being in the smooth region of the image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for compressing video data. The method comprises segmenting a video frame, selecting a coding mode, and encoding. The segmenting includes segmenting the video frame of the video data into a sequence of coding blocks. The selecting includes selecting the coding mode from a plurality of coding modes. The selecting of the coding mode is based on an allowable bit budget and occurs for each coding block. The encoding includes encoding each coding block based on the coding mode. The allowable bit budget varies according to a bit utilization of prior encoded coding blocks and varies such that the video frame is does not exceed a specified compression ratio.

Abstract: High-frequency noise is generated that approximates the appearance of traditional “film grain” for a digital video signal. By adding a relatively small amount of film grain noise, the video can be made to look more natural and more pleasing to the human viewer. The digital film grain generation can be used to mask unnatural smooth artifacts in digital video such as “blockiness” and “contouring” in the case of compressed video and/or used to provide visual enhancements or special effects to any digital video stream. The digital film grain generator can control grain size and the amount of film grain to be added.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing the detail edges and transitions in an input video signal. This enhancement may be accomplished by enhancing small detail edges before up-scaling and enhancing large amplitude transitions after up-scaling. For example, detail edge enhancement (detail EE) may be used to enhance the fine details of an input video signal. An edge map may be used to prevent enhancing the large edges and accompanying mosquito noise with the detail enhancement. Noise may additionally be removed from the signal. After the fine details are enhanced, the signal may be up-scaled. Luminance transition improvement (LTI) or chrominance transition improvement (CTI) may be used to enhance the large transitions of the input video signal post scaler.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the visual quality of low-resolution video displayed on large-screen displays. A video format converter may be used to process a low-resolution video signal from a media providing device before the video is displayed. The video format converter may detect the true resolution of the video and deinterlace the video signal accordingly. For low-resolution videos that are also low in quality, the video format converter may reduce compression artifacts and apply techniques to enhance the appearance of the video.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the visual quality of low resolution and/or low frame rate video content displayed on large-screen displays. A video format converter may be used to process a low resolution and/or low frame rate video signal from a media providing device before the video is displayed. The video format converter may detect the true resolution of the video and deinterlace the video signal accordingly. The video format converter may also determine the frame rate of a video and may increase the frame rate if the received frame rate is below a certain threshold. For videos that are also low in quality, the video format converter may reduce compression artifacts and apply techniques to enhance the appearance of the video.