Abstract: A method is provided to better detect a scene change to provide a prediction to an encoder to enable more efficient encoding. The method uses a Motion Compensated Temporal Filter (MCTF) that provides motion estimation and is located prior to an encoder. The MCTF provides a Motion Compensated Residual (MCR) used to detect the scene change transition. When a scene is relatively stable, the MCR score is also relatively stable. However, when a scene transition is in process, the MCR score behavior changes, Algorithmically, the MCR score is used by comparing the sliding mean of the MCR score to the sliding median. This comparison highlights the transition points. In the case of a scene cut, the MCR score exhibits a distinct spike. In the case of a fade or dissolve, the MCR score exhibits a transitional period of degradation followed by recovery. By implementing the above detection using the MCR, the location of the I-pictures in the downstream encoding process can be accurately determined for the encoder.

Abstract: A system for providing improved video quality and compression efficiency during encoding by detecting video segments having film grain approaching the “Red Lady” problem. The system detects when film grain approaches the level of the “Red Lady” problem by measuring frame-by-frame temporal differences (ME scores). From the ME scores, two key indicators are identified: (1) The average temporal difference in frames with an intermediate motion level higher than frames of non-noisy video; and (2) The fluctuation of the temporal differences between frames in a group is very small. When these indicators identify a high film video, a signal is provided to an encoder which allocates less bits to I frames and more bits to P and B frames than for other frames of video without comparable film grain.

Abstract: A system for providing improved video quality and compression efficiency during encoding by detecting video segments having film grain approaching the “Red Lady” problem. The system detects when film grain approaches the level of the “Red Lady” problem by measuring frame-by-frame temporal differences (ME scores). From the ME scores, two key indicators are identified: (1) The average temporal difference in frames with an intermediate motion level higher than frames of non-noisy video; and (2) The fluctuation of the temporal differences between frames in a group is very small. When these indicators identify a high film video, a signal is provided to an encoder which allocates less bits to I frames and more bits to P and B frames than for other frames of video without comparable film grain.

Abstract: A method is provided to better detect a scene change to provide a prediction to an encoder to enable more efficient encoding. The method uses a Motion Compensated Temporal Filter (MCTF) that provides motion estimation and is located prior to an encoder. The MCTF provides a Motion Compensated Residual (MCR) used to detect the scene change transition. When a scene is relatively stable, the MCR score is also relatively stable. However, when a scene transition is in process, the MCR score behavior changes, Algorithmically, the MCR score is used by comparing the sliding mean of the MCR score to the sliding median. This comparison highlights the transition points. In the case of a scene cut, the MCR score exhibits a distinct spike. In the case of a fade or dissolve, the MCR score exhibits a transitional period of degradation followed by recovery. By implementing the above detection using the MCR, the location of the I-pictures in the downstream encoding process can be accurately determined for the encoder.

Abstract: A method is provided to better detect a scene change to provide a prediction to an encoder to enable more efficient encoding. The method uses a Motion Compensated Temporal Filter (MCTF) that provides motion estimation and is located prior to an encoder. The MCTF provides a Motion Compensated Residual (MCR) used to detect the scene change transition. When a scene is relatively stable, the MCR score is also relatively stable. However, when a scene transition is in process, the MCR score behavior changes, Algorithmically, the MCR score is used by comparing the sliding mean of the MCR score to the sliding median. This comparison highlights the transition points. In the case of a scene cut, the MCR score exhibits a distinct spike. In the case of a fade or dissolve, the MCR score exhibits a transitional period of degradation followed by recovery. By implementing the above detection using the MCR, the location of the I-pictures in the downstream encoding process can be accurately determined for the encoder.

Abstract: A method of encoding video is provides encoding of panic scenes efficiently. The method includes receiving an input video at an encoder, reviewing lookahead information from a second encoder that processed the input video ahead of the encoder that indicates positions of panic scenes within the input video that caused the second encoder to enter a panic encoding mode during which it skipped the encoding of frames, entering a pre-panic stage with the encoder ahead of said panic scenes, entering a semi-panic stage with the encoder during the panic scenes when it produces a bitstream having a number of bits exceeding a predetermined data size within an encoder buffer, and entering a full panic stage when the semi-panic stage does not bring the number of bits in the bitstream below the predetermined data size.

Abstract: A video encoding method is provided when three scenes are separated by two closely spaced scene changes. For scene changes spaced greater than a threshold, scene changes are programmed with I frames in a normal fashion. If less than the threshold, the method encodes depending on complexity of the first, second and third scene to determine how to encode the scene changes. To compare complexities, the process begins by using X1, X2, and X3 to note respectively the complexities of the first, the second and the third scenes. If the absolute difference of X1 and X2 is higher than a first threshold and the absolute difference of X2 and X3 is higher than a second threshold, the first scene change is more significant than the second scene change, so in that case the process encodes the first scene change as an I-frame and picks a quantization parameter (QP) based on the complexity blended from the complexity of scene 2 (X2) and scene 3 (X3).

Abstract: A method of encoding video is provides encoding of panic scenes efficiently. The method includes receiving an input video at an encoder, reviewing lookahead information from a second encoder that processed the input video ahead of the encoder that indicates positions of panic scenes within the input video that caused the second encoder to enter a panic encoding mode during which it skipped the encoding of frames, entering a pre-panic stage with the encoder ahead of said panic scenes, entering a semi-panic stage with the encoder during the panic scenes when it produces a bitstream having a number of bits exceeding a predetermined data size within an encoder buffer, and entering a full panic stage when the semi-panic stage does not bring the number of bits in the bitstream below the predetermined data size.

Abstract: A video encoding method is provided when three scenes are separated by two closely spaced scene changes. For scene changes spaced greater than a threshold, scene changes are programmed with I frames in a normal fashion. If less than the threshold, the method encodes depending on complexity of the first, second and third scene to determine how to encode the scene changes. To compare complexities, the process begins by using X1, X2, and X3 to note respectively the complexities of the first, the second and the third scenes. If the absolute difference of X1 and X2 is higher than a first threshold and the absolute difference of X2 and X3 is higher than a second threshold, the first scene change is more significant than the second scene change, so in that case the process encodes the first scene change as an I-frame and picks a quantization parameter (QP) based on the complexity blended from the complexity of scene 2 (X2) and scene 3 (X3).

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of multilayer bit streams includes receiving a plurality of multilayer bit streams each having a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. One or more of the enhancement layers are extracted in whole or in part from at least one of the multilayer bit streams so that the plurality of multilayer bit streams are collectively reduced in their total bandwidth. Each of the multilayer bit streams are rewritten to a single layer bit stream. The single layer bit streams are multiplexed to form a multiplexed single layer bit stream.

Abstract: A method receives first and second copies of a video stream by first and second video processing devices, respectively, and processes the first and the second copies of the video stream to generate first and second statistical data for the video stream, respectively. The method transmits in first and second transmissions the first and the second copies of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data respectively from the first and the second video processing device to a third video processing device, and reads the first and the second statistical data from the first and the second transmissions by the third video processing device. The method then combines the first and the second statistical data with one copy of the video stream by the third video processing device, and transmits the one copy of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data.

Abstract: A method for processing a video stream includes receiving first and second copies of the video stream by first and second video processing devices, respectively, and generating first and second statistical data for the video stream by the first and the second video processing devices, respectively. The method further includes transmitting in first and second transmissions the first and the second copies of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data respectively from the first and the second video processing device to a third video processing device, and reading the first and the second statistical data from the first and the second transmissions by the third video processing device. The method further includes combining the first and the second statistical data with one copy of the video stream by the third video processing device, and transmitting the one copy of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data.

Abstract: A method is provided to better detect a scene change to provide a prediction to an encoder to enable more efficient encoding. The method uses a Motion Compensated Temporal Filter (MCTF) that provides motion estimation and is located prior to an encoder. The MCTF provides a Motion Compensated Residual (MCR) used to detect the scene change transition. When a scene is relatively stable, the MCR score is also relatively stable. However, when a scene transition is in process, the MCR score behavior changes, Algorithmically, the MCR score is used by comparing the sliding mean of the MCR score to the sliding median. This comparison highlights the transition points. In the case of a scene cut, the MCR score exhibits a distinct spike. In the case of a fade or dissolve, the MCR score exhibits a transitional period of degradation followed by recovery. By implementing the above detection using the MCR, the location of the I-pictures in the downstream encoding process can be accurately determined for the encoder.

Abstract: A system for providing improved video quality and compression efficiency during encoding by detecting video segments having film grain approaching the “Red Lady” problem. The system detects when film grain approaches the level of the “Red Lady” problem by measuring frame-by-frame temporal differences (ME scores). From the ME scores, two key indicators are identified: (1) The average temporal difference in frames with an intermediate motion level higher than frames of non-noisy video; and (2) The fluctuation of the temporal differences between frames in a group is very small. When these indicators identify a high film video, a signal is provided to an encoder which allocates less bits to I frames and more bits to P and B frames than for other frames of video without comparable film grain.

Abstract: An adaptive video pre-filter system is provided that uses a blend of both spatially neighboring pixels and motion compensated neighboring pixels to produce a filtered output that has reduced pixel noise to drive a primary encoder. In one embodiment, the pre-filter is used with a look-ahead encoder that provides a complexity input control to a pre-filter enabling the pre-filter to provide a filtered video signal to a primary encoder. A complexity model is provided between the look-ahead encoder and the pre-filter to enable an increase or decrease in the filtering strength to be provided depending upon the complexity of the input signal. In a further embodiment, the look-ahead encoder is replaced with a decoder to provide complexity values. In some embodiments, a delay buffer is provided to buffer the complexity values between the complexity model and the pre-filter and buffering is further provided with the same delay to buffer the video frames to the pre-filter to smooth filtering in the pre-filter.

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of multilayer bit streams includes receiving a plurality of multilayer bit streams each having a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. One or more of the enhancement layers are extracted in whole or in part from at least one of the multilayer bit streams so that the plurality of multilayer bit streams are collectively reduced in their total bandwidth. Each of the multilayer bit streams are rewritten to a single layer bit stream. The single layer bit streams are multiplexed to form a multiplexed single layer bit stream.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing multilayer bit streams that includes receiving the multilayer bit streams of Scalable Video Code (SVC) each having a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. One or more of the enhancement layers are extracted in whole or in part from at least one of the multilayer bit streams so that the multilayer bit streams are collectively reduced in their total bandwidth. Each of the extracted bit streams are rewritten to a single layer bit stream. The single layer bit streams are then multiplexed to form a multiplexed single layer bit stream that is non-SVC.

Abstract: A target bit rate determination model is provided that allows information from a look ahead encoder or a decoder to be used to produce a need parameter for an encoder. Two ways to control an encoder system are provided. In the first control method, statistics from a look ahead encoder and knowledge of bitrate requirements for different codecs are used to create a need parameter control input for the primary encoder. In the second method, statistics from a decoder and knowledge of decoder and encoder behavior are used to create a need parameter control input for the primary encoder.

Abstract: A method for processing a video stream includes receiving first and second copies of the video stream by first and second video processing devices, respectively, and generating first and second statistical data for the video stream by the first and the second video processing devices, respectively. The method further includes transmitting in first and second transmissions the first and the second copies of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data respectively from the first and the second video processing device to a third video processing device, and reading the first and the second statistical data from the first and the second transmissions by the third video processing device. The method further includes combining the first and the second statistical data with one copy of the video stream by the third video processing device, and transmitting the one copy of the video stream with the first and the second statistical data.

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of multilayer bit streams includes receiving a plurality of multilayer bit streams each having a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. One or more of the enhancement layers are extracted in whole or in part from at least one of the multilayer bit streams so that the plurality of multilayer bit streams are collectively reduced in their total bandwidth. Each of the multilayer bit streams are rewritten to a single layer bit stream. The single layer bit streams are multiplexed to form a multiplexed single layer bit stream.