Abstract: A computing system includes an interface, a memory, and processing circuitry. The interface is configured to receive, from a production system, a first test stream and a second test stream. The memory is in communication with the interface and is configured to store at least a portion of the first test stream and at least a portion of the second test stream. The processing circuitry is in communication with the memory and is configured to: detect first embedded information in the first test stream representative of a first timestamp and second embedded information in the second test stream representative of a second timestamp; determine, based on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, an offset between the first test stream and the second test stream; output the offset.

Abstract: A computing system includes an interface, a memory, and processing circuitry. The interface is configured to receive, from a production system, a first test stream and a second test stream. The memory is in communication with the interface and is configured to store at least a portion of the first test stream and at least a portion of the second test stream. The processing circuitry is in communication with the memory and is configured to: detect first embedded information in the first test stream representative of a first timestamp and second embedded information in the second test stream representative of a second timestamp; determine, based on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, an offset between the first test stream and the second test stream; output the offset.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems that assess video content. A computing system includes an interface configured to an image captured at a destination of the video content. The computing system includes a memory configured to store the received image and at least a portion of a reference image associated with the video content. The computing system includes processing circuitry configured to detect embedded information in the image, the embedded information indicating that the image represents a frame of a test pattern of the video content. The processing circuitry is configured to utilize an implicit knowledge of the test pattern to compare at least a portion of the image to the portion of the reference image stored to the memory, and to automatically determine, based on the comparison, one or more characteristics of the video content segment as delivered at the destination.

Abstract: A method for detecting and quantifying losses in at least one of video and audio equipment, comprising the steps of generating the test pattern; processing the test pattern through video equipment; and displaying the processed test pattern to a display to a viewer. In one embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of video compression losses due to quantization. In another embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of a color transformation mismatch after encoding/decoding with incompatible video transmission standards. In a third embodiment, the test pattern is iso-luminant after a color transformation between a first and second video transmission standard. In a fourth embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of lipsync error.

Abstract: A method for detecting and quantifying losses in at least one of video and audio equipment, comprising the steps of generating the test pattern; processing the test pattern through video equipment; and displaying the processed test pattern to a display to a viewer. In one embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of video compression losses due to quantization. In another embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of a color transformation mismatch after encoding/decoding with incompatible video transmission standards. In a third embodiment, the test pattern is iso-luminant after a color transformation between a first and second video transmission standard. In a fourth embodiment, the test pattern is indicative of lipsync error.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating universal splice point adapters, where during a splicing operation an “out-point splicing adapter” is used to transition from an exit stream, while an “in-point splicing adapter” is used to transition to an entry stream.

Abstract: A digital video decoding system receives packetized video data representing programs conveyed on a plurality of video channels. The system includes a plurality of buffers for storing encoded video data representing images of video programs conveyed on a corresponding plurality of video channels. An individual buffer, corresponding to an individual video channel, stores sufficient encoded video data to prevent an underflow condition following switching to decode a program conveyed on the individual video channel. A processor initiates switching to decode a program conveyed on a selected one of the plurality of video channels in response to a user channel selection input. A decoder decodes encoded video data received from one of the plurality of buffers corresponding to the program conveyed on the selected video channel as determined by switching initiated by the processor.

Abstract: A method and concomitant apparatus for incorporating one or more relatively low bitrate information streams (e.g., MPEG) into a relatively high bitrate information stream (e.g., SDTI) in a manner aligning low bitrate sub-stream splice entrance points and splice exit points within the frame boundaries of the high bitrate information stream. In this manner, the splicing of the relatively high bitrate information stream at appropriate In Frames and Out Frames will provide relatively seamless splicing of information sub-streams. The packing and unpacking methods are implemented such that the temporal offset between elementary streams carried within relatively low bitrate information stream is removed, i.e., the elementary streams are synchronized.

Abstract: Compression-related information is used to constrain the selection and control of video imagery and content used to produce one or more uncompressed video streams for subsequent compression processing. Rather than taking an uncompressed video stream “as is” for compression processing, characteristics of compression processing are taken into consideration during the video production stage when the uncompressed video stream is generated. Different types of constraints include “intra-frame” constraints that constrain video content within a frame of a video stream, “inter-frame” constraints that constrain video content from frame to frame within a video stream, and “inter-stream” constraints that constrain video content across different video streams. Two or more different constraints and two or more different types of constraints may be applied simultaneously. The compression-related information may be “static” (e.g.

Abstract: In predictive encoders that support both intra-frame and inter-frame coding, the coding of intermediate dissolve frames (i.e., those falling between the first and last dissolve frames) is restricted, such that either (1) no intermediate dissolve frame is coded as an anchor frame (e.g., MPEG I or P frame) or (2) only a specific number of frames at specific locations within the dissolve are encoded as anchor frames. In certain MPEG implementations, all intermediate dissolve frames are coded as B frames, while the first and last frames are coded as anchor frames (e.g., I or P frames). In other implementations, particular intermediate dissolve frames may be coded as anchor frames with the other intermediate frames coded as B frames. The present invention can provide improved coding results in terms of both bit rate and video quality by avoiding the accumulation of predication errors that can otherwise occur when fixed GOP patterns are applied during dissolves.

Abstract: An interface, e.g., a modem-like interface for converting a digital information signal into an analog signal for use within an analog television studio infrastructure. Namely, the present invention employs a novel modulator that conveys compressed video data into analog video lines by creating an analog “video” signal that contains video gray-scale levels which correspond to digital data values, instead of containing an image.

Abstract: Flash frames are detected in video streams, for example, by looking for short sequences of one or more frames (or, to be more general, pictures) in which the frames within the sequence are not well-correlated to the frames that immediately precede and follow the flash sequence, where those frames before and after the flash sequence are themselves well-correlated to each other. Video compression processing is then adjusted in some way to handle flash frames in a special manner. For example, since flash frames are poorly correlated to their neighboring frames, it would be best not to make predictions based on such flash frames when encoding other frames. Encoding flash frames as anchor frames (e.g., I or P frames in an MPEG encoder) would be detrimental to those frames that are predicted from the anchor frames. Rather, flash frames are preferably encoded as frames that are never used as references for coding other non-flash frames (e.g., as B frames in an MPEG encoder).

Abstract: In a data transmission system, an encoder provides a bitstream having a sequence of frame segments, wherein each frame segment has a bit size which is limited by the encoder to a maximum bit size. A transmission channel is provided which has a channel rate sufficient to transmit a frame segment of maximum bit size within a frame interval. A burst transmitter receives the bitstream from the encoder and transmits each consecutive frame segment, at regular frame intervals, in a burst at the channel rate via the transmission channel, to provide a bursty bitstream over the transmission channel.

Abstract: When logos or other imagery are to be added to compressed digital video bitstreams, certain constraints are applied to the encoder that generates the original compressed bitstream to enable a video logo processor (e.g., at a local broadcaster) to insert logo-inserted encoded data into the bitstream without placing substantial processing demands on the video logo processor. In one embodiment, areas where logos can be inserted are identified and the encoder is not allowed to use image data within those logo areas as reference data when performing motion-compensated inter-frame differencing for pixels outside of the logo areas. Preferably, the compressed data corresponding to the desired location for logo insertion are extracted from the compressed bitstream and replaced by logo-inserted encoded data. As a result, logos can be inserted into compressed digital video bitstreams without having to completely decode and re-encode the bitstreams, while maintaining the overall quality of the video display.

Abstract: Video signal compression apparatus generates residues representing pixel value differences between predicted and real pixel values of a current frame of a video signal. Noise reduction circuitry, in the form of nonlinear processing functions, attenuates lower amplitude residues greater than higher amplitude residues and is responsive to a noise estimate. The processed residues are transformed to provide a compressed video data output. The nonlinear processing functions attenuate noise and reduce image distortion.

Abstract: A method and concomitant apparatus for incorporating one or more relatively low bitrate information streams (e.g., MPEG) into a relatively high bitrate information stream (e.g., SDTI) in a manner aligning low bitrate sub-stream splice entrance points and splice exit points within the frame boundaries of the high bitrate information stream. In this manner the splicing of the relatively high bitrate information stream at appropriate In Frames and Out Frames will provide relatively seamless splicing of information sub-streams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for splicing a first compressed digital information stream into a second compressed digital information stream. The first information stream includes at least one entrance indicium identifying an appropriate stream entrance point, the second information stream includes at least one exit indicium identifying an appropriate stream exit point. A controller monitors the two streams until the appropriate points are found and, in response to a control signal, splices the first stream into the second stream.

Abstract: Noise reduction circuitry, in a video signal compression apparatus of the predictive DPCM compression type includes a simple nonlinear processing element within the DPCM loop to eliminate residues between predicted and real image signals, which are smaller than a predetermined value. Elimination of such residues dramatically reduces the amount of compressed data generated for signals including even modest amounts of noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for splicing a first compressed digital information stream into a second compressed digital information stream. The first information stream includes at least one entrance indicium identifying an appropriate stream entrance point, the second information stream includes at least one exit indicium identifying an appropriate stream exit point. A controller monitors the two streams until the appropriate points are found and, in response to a control signal, splices the first stream into the second stream.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for processing an MPEG-like bitstream comprising information frames having associated timing parameters. The method and apparatus identify one or more non-referential information frames containing at least a threshold number of bits, remove one or more of the identified non-referential information frames and modify the timing information associated with each information frame following the one or more removed information frames.