Abstract: A video decoder selects a source affine block. The source affine block is an affine-coded block that spatially neighbors a current block. Additionally, the video decoder extrapolates motion vectors of control points of the source affine block to determine motion vector predictors for control points of the current block. The video decoder inserts, into an affine motion vector predictor (MVP) set candidate list, an affine MVP set that includes the motion vector predictors for the control points of the current block. The video decoder also determines, based on an index signaled in a bitstream, a selected affine MVP set in the affine MVP set candidate list. The video decoder obtains, from the bitstream, motion vector differences (MVDs) that indicate differences between motion vectors of the control points of the current block and motion vector predictors in the selected affine MVP set.

Abstract: In a palette prediction that includes a copy-above mode for predicting one or more first pixels based on one or more above pixels located above said one or more first pixels correspondingly, a method of palette mode coding using palette prediction for a picture includes receiving input data associated with a current block and determining a current coding mode for one or more current pixels. If the current coding mode corresponds to the copy-above mode, then the method identifies one or more above pixels located above said one or more current pixels correspondingly, wherein said one or more above pixels are restricted to be non-Escape pixels. The method further encodes the one or more current pixels by using said one or more above pixels as predictors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for palette coding of a block of video data using multiple color index scanning orders involve: receiving input data associated with a current block; determining whether transposing a color index map for palette coding is selected; responsive to selecting transposing the color index map, encoding or decoding color indices of the current block according to a transposed palette or a transposed triplet palette; and responsive to not selecting transposing the color index map, encoding or decoding the color indices of the current block according to an original palette or an original triplet palette.

Abstract: A video encoder is configured to determine whether to enable or disable an integer motion vector precision restriction and whether to enable or disable an illumination compensation (IC) tool by: for a large search range in a reference picture, performing first motion estimation tests, wherein performing the first motion estimation tests comprises performing motion estimation tests only with the IC tool disabled and the integer motion vector precision restriction disabled and with the IC tool enabled and the integer motion vector precision restriction disabled; based on the first motion estimation tests, determining a small search range, wherein the small search range is smaller than the large search range; for the small search range, performing second motion estimation tests; and based on the second motion estimation tests, determining whether to enable or disable the integer motion vector precision restriction and whether to enable or disable the IC tool.

Abstract: A method for palette coding is disclosed. In an encoder side, the method determines whether a first block is coded using a palette coding mode or a non-palette coding. If the first block is coded using the non-palette coding mode, a first color table for the first block is derived based on one or more color tables associated with one or more previously processed blocks. If the first block is coded using the palette coding mode, the first color table is derived from the first block. A second block coded after the first block may use the first color table as a palette prediction. At the decoder side, if the current block is coded using the palette coding mode, a first color table based on a previous coded block is derived and the current block is decoded using a first color table as a palette predictor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for color index coding of a block of video data using index prediction based on reconstructed neighboring pixels are disclosed. In one embodiment, color index encoding or decoding is applied to the current pixel indices by deriving index prediction from neighboring pixel indices of the reconstructed neighboring pixels. The reconstructed neighboring pixel values are first transformed into the neighboring pixel indices according to a quantization table to map between major color indices and major color values of the current block. The quantization table can be based on a major color table for the current block or can also be derived at a decoder side. The decoding process may reconstruct the current pixels by converting decoded current pixel indices to reconstructed current pixel values according to the quantization table or by directly copying the reconstructed neighboring pixel values indicated by decoded current pixel indices.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of video coding using decoder derived motion information based on bilateral matching or template matching are disclosed. According to one method, an initial motion vector (MV) index is signalled in a video bitstream at an encoder side or determined from the video bitstream at a decoder side. A selected MV is then derived using bilateral matching, template matching or both to refine an initial MV associated with the initial MV index. In another method, when both MVs for list 0 and list 1 exist in template matching, the smallest-cost MV between the two MVs may be used for uni-prediction template matching if the cost is lower than the bi-prediction template matching. According to yet another method, the refinement of the MV search is dependent on the block size. According to yet another method, merge candidate MV pair is always used for bilateral matching or template matching.

Abstract: A device is disclosed. The device includes: an encoder configured to encode a first bit stream and a second bit stream, the first bit stream comprising a first plurality of frames, the second bit stream comprising a second plurality of frames; a processor configured to determine a first encoding parameter of the first bit stream and a second encoding parameter of the second bit stream, the first encoding parameter different from the second encoding parameter; and a communication module configured to transmit the first bit stream and the second bit stream over a network. The first plurality of frames and the second plurality of frames are transmitted in an interleaving fashion.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for selecting and applying an appropriate deblocking filter for improved coding efficiency and compression performance by partitioning a frame into a plurality of rectangular coding units (CUs) according to the QTBT frame partitioning scheme, selecting a first and a second CUs of the plurality of rectangular CUs, where the second CU is adjacent to the first CU, identifying a CU boundary shared by the first and second CUs, determining that at least one of the first or the second CU is non-square in shape, determining a first shape of the first CU and a second shape of the second CU, adaptively selecting a deblocking filter based on the first shape and the second shape, and applying the selected deblocking filter to pixels across the CU boundary.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding a block of video data using index or pixel value prediction including a copy-by-pattern-search mode are disclosed. According to the present invention, a current search pattern is determined based on one or more previous coded pixels. One or more predictors are derived according to the current search pattern for a current index or pixel value of a current pixel in the current block. Encoding or decoding is then applied to one or more following indices or pixel values of one or more following pixels including the current pixel using the predictors. In a simplest case, the one or more previous coded pixels correspond to a single previous coded pixel at the left side of the current pixel and the one or more following pixels contain only the current pixel.

Abstract: A method for palette coding is disclosed. In an encoder side, the method determines whether a first block is coded using a palette coding mode or a non-palette coding. If the first block is coded using the non-palette coding mode, a first color table for the first block is derived based on one or more color tables associated with one or more previously processed blocks. If the first block is coded using the palette coding mode, the first color table is derived from the first block. A second block coded after the first block may use the first color table as a palette prediction. At the decoder side, if the current block is coded using the palette coding mode, a first color table based on a previous coded block is derived and the current block is decoded using a first color table as a palette predictor.

Abstract: A video decoder selects a source affine block. The source affine block is an affine-coded block that spatially neighbors a current block. Additionally, the video decoder extrapolates motion vectors of control points of the source affine block to determine motion vector predictors for control points of the current block. The video decoder inserts, into an affine motion vector predictor (MVP) set candidate list, an affine MVP set that includes the motion vector predictors for the control points of the current block. The video decoder also determines, based on an index signaled in a bitstream, a selected affine MVP set in the affine MVP set candidate list. The video decoder obtains, from the bitstream, motion vector differences (MVDs) that indicate differences between motion vectors of the control points of the current block and motion vector predictors in the selected affine MVP set.

Abstract: A method for color index coding of blocks in a picture is disclosed. In one embodiment for the decoder side, a current coding mode is parsed from the input coded bitstream for one or more first currently decoded pixels in a current block starting from a first starting position. If the current coding mode corresponds to a generalized copy-previous-row mode, one or more first reference pixels starting from a first starting reference position located at T-th row above the first currently decoded pixels are identified, where T is an integer equal to or greater than one. The first reference pixels starting from the first starting reference position are then used to decode the first currently decoded pixels starting from a first starting position by copying the first reference pixels starting from the first starting reference position respectively. The system may also include a copy-left mode or escape mode.

Abstract: A method of decoding video data comprising performing a prediction process for one or more neighboring blocks of video data that are neighboring a current block of video data to obtain prediction pixel values for neighboring pixels of the current block of video data, deriving a template for the current block of video data using the prediction pixel values, performing a decoder-side motion vector derivation technique using the derived template to derive a motion vector for the current block of video data, and decoding the current block of video data using the derived motion vector.

Abstract: In order to overcome the issue caused by a decoded block vector (BV) pointing to a reference block overlapping with an unavailable area, various methods are disclosed. According to one method, if the reference block overlaps with an unavailable area, the reference pixels in the unavailable area are generated for IntraBC prediction of the current block by padding from neighbouring available pixels. The padding can be done in the horizontal direction and then the vertical direction. The padding may also done in the vertical direction first and then horizontal direction. In another method, if the reference block overlaps with an unavailable area, the reference pixels in the unavailable area are generated for IntraBC prediction of the current block by using previous decoded pixels in the unavailable area. A pre-defined value may also be used for the unavailable area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of sharing an on-chip buffer or cache memory for a video coding system using coding modes including Inter prediction mode or Intra Block Copy (IntraBC) mode are disclosed. At least partial pre-deblocking reconstructed video data of a current picture is stored in an on-chip buffer or cache memory. If the current block is coded using IntraBC mode, the pre-deblocking reconstructed video data of the current picture stored in the on-chip buffer or cache memory are used to derive IntraBC prediction for the current block. In some embodiments, if the current block is coded using Inter prediction mode, Inter reference video data from the previous picture stored in the on-chip buffer or cache memory are used to derive Inter prediction for the current block. In another embodiment, the motion compensation/motion estimation unit is shared by the two modes.

Abstract: Methods of palette coding to reduce the required coding process are disclosed. According to one method, smaller blocks are derived from a large block. The histogram of the large block is derived based on the histograms of smaller blocks in the large block. According to another method, one or more palette tables are derived based on multiple blocks. One palette table is used for each of the multiple blocks. According to yet another method, index map transpose is performed in the parsing stage according to the transpose flag of the index map. Accordingly, a buffer to store the transpose flags can be saved. According to still yet another method, the palette predictor update is performed using an index mapping table to avoid the need for shuffling the contents of the palette predictor stored in a palette buffer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus perform palette coding of a block of video data by initializing the palette or triplet palette or using a selected palette or triplet palette from a preceding image area for the beginning block of the current image area. The method receives input data associated with a current image area consisting of multiple blocks. For the beginning block, coding palette predictor is determined based on an initial palette or triplet palette or based on a selected palette or triplet palette associated with a selected block located at a location before the end of a preceding image area. For blocks of the current image area, palette coding is applied to the blocks, where at least one block uses the palette predictor for the beginning block as the palette predictor.

Abstract: Improved systems and methods related to decoder-side motion vector derivation (DMVD), for example, in applying one or more constraints to motion information, such as a MV derived by DMVD, and/or a MV difference between an initial MV and an MV derived by DMVD. These techniques may be applied to any of the existing video codecs, such as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), and/or may be an efficient coding tool in any future video coding standards. In one example, the block size used for DMVD can be restricted. In another example, FRUC bilateral matching can be simplified by not searching outside reference blocks indicated by the original motion vector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a video coding system with the current picture referencing (CPR) mode enabled are disclosed. According to one method, the luma and chroma blocks of the current image are jointly coded using a same coding unit (CU) structure if the CPR mode is selected for the luma and the chroma blocks. Alternatively, if the luma and chroma components are partitioned into the luma and the chroma blocks separately using separate CU structures, the luma and chroma blocks are encoded or decoded using a coding mode selected from a coding mode group excluding the CPR mode. According to another method, the luma and chroma blocks of the current image are coded separately using a different CU structure if the CPR mode is selected for the luma and chroma blocks. In yet another method, reconstructed reference data is disclosed for the CPR mode with CU equal to PU.