Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for video coding. The method includes receiving input data associated with a processing block in a current picture, selecting, from a set of neighboring reconstructed samples for intra-coding pixels in the processing block, a plurality of reference samples for a pixel in the processing block based on a position of the pixel and an intra prediction mode of the processing block, determining a projection phase for the pixel based on the position of the pixel and the intra prediction mode of the processing block, determining coefficients of an interpolation filter based on the projection phase for the pixel, applying the interpolation filter with the determined coefficients on the reference samples to generate a prediction of the pixel, and encoding or decoding the pixel in the processing block using the prediction of the pixel.

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: A method and apparatus for three-dimensional and scalable video coding are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention determine a motion information set associated with the video data, wherein at least part of the motion information set is made available or unavailable conditionally depending on the video data type. The video data type may correspond to depth data, texture data, a view associated with the video data in three-dimensional video coding, or a layer associated with the video data in scalable video coding. The motion information set is then provided for coding or decoding of the video data, other video data, or both. At least a flag may be used to indicate whether part of the motion information set is available or unavailable. Alternatively, a coding profile for the video data may be used to determine whether the motion information is available or not based on the video data type.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for forming patch groups. The method can include determining a list of K motion vectors (MVs) for each current patch to form a patch group that includes the respective current patch and K reference patches corresponding to the K MVs, wherein the current patches are included in a reconstructed picture. The list of K MVs of a first current patch that is one of the current patches is determined by performing a neighbor-based fast search (NBFS) process. The NBFS process can include selecting K MVs from lists of K MVs of at least one neighboring current patch of the first patch to form a first list of K MVs of the first current patch, and performing a first refinement process to obtain a second list of K MVs of the first current patch based on the first list of K MVs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving a motion vector predictor (MVP) candidate set for a block are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention generate a complete full MVP candidate set based on the redundancy-removed MVP candidate set if one or more redundant MVP candidates exist. In one embodiment, the method generates the complete full MVP candidate set by adding replacement MVP candidates to the redundancy-removed MVP candidate set and a value corresponding to a non-redundant MVP is assigned to each replacement MVP candidate. In another embodiment, the method generates the complete full MVP candidate set by adding replacement MVP candidates to the redundancy-removed MVP candidate set and a value is assigned to each replacement MVP candidate according to a rule. The procedure of assigning value, checking redundancy, removing redundant MVP candidate are repeated until the MVP candidate set is complete and full.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method operates by receiving neighboring reconstructed first-color pixels and current reconstructed first-color pixels of a current first-color block and receiving neighboring reconstructed second-color pixels of a current second-color block collocated with the current first-color block. The method then determines linear model (LM) parameters according to a linear model for one or more LM Intra modes. The method then receives input data associated with current second-color pixels of the current second-color block and generates a cross-color Intra predictor from the current reconstructed first-color pixels of the current first-color block using the LM parameters associated with a LM Intra mode selected from said one or more LM Intra modes. Finally, the method applies cross-color Intra prediction encoding or decoding to the current second-color pixels of the current second-color block using the cross-color Intra predictor for the selected LM Intra mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Intra prediction filtering in an image or video encoder or decoder are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of adaptive loop filtering with implicit sample-based On/Off control for reconstructed video to improve the performance is disclosed. In one embodiment, each pixel of the video data associated with the reconstructed current image unit is classified into a first group and a second group. Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) is then applied to these pixels belonging to the first group. For pixels in the second group, ALF is not applied. The image unit may correspond to one coding tree block (CTB) or one coding tree unit (CTU). Various classification means for classifying each pixel into a first group or a second group have also been disclosed. The adaptive loop filtering with implicit sample-based On/Off control may also be used as an additional mode in a system supporting block-based On/Off control.

Abstract: Embodiments according to the present invention configure the intra prediction mode candidates into multi-level MPM sets, which comprise at least a first-level MPM set and a second-level MPM set. Encoding or decoding a current intra prediction mode is based on the multi-level MPM sets, where one syntax element of the syntax information to be generated or decoded respectively is associated with evaluating the current intra prediction mode using the first-level MPM set. A method and apparatus for chroma intra prediction mode encoding and decoding are also disclosed. The chroma intra prediction mode set includes a Luma-based chroma prediction Mode (LM), a Direct Mode (DM) and four other modes. The codeword set comprises variable-length codewords and fixed-length codewords, and the fixed-length codewords are longer than the variable-length codewords. The variable-length codewords are used for the DM and LM, and the fixed-length codewords are used for the four other modes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) processing of video data in a video decoder are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving a block of processed-reconstructed pixels associated with a picture from a media or a processor, wherein the block of processed-reconstructed pixels are decoded from a video bitstream; determining a SAO type index from the video bitstream, wherein the SAO type index is decoded according to truncated unary binarization, the SAO type index is decoded using CABAC (context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding) with one context, or the SAO type index is decoded by CABAC using a context mode for a first bin associated with the SAO type index and using a bypass mode for any remaining bin associated with the SAO type index; and applying SAO processing to the block of processed-reconstructed pixels based on SAO information including the SAO type index.

Abstract: A method of video coding utilizing ARP (advanced residual prediction) by explicitly signaling the temporal reference picture or deriving the temporal reference picture at the encoder and the decoder using identical process is disclosed. To encode or decode a current block in a current picture from a dependent view, a corresponding block in a reference view corresponding to the current block is determined based on a DV (disparity vector). For the encoder side, the temporal reference picture in the reference view of the corresponding block is explicitly signaled using syntax element(s) in the slice header or derived using an identical process as the decoder. For the decoder side, the temporal reference picture in the reference view of the corresponding block is determined according to the syntax element(s) in the slice header or derived using an identical process as the decoder. The temporal reference picture is then used for ARP.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing 2N×2N transform units (TUs) are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a first-layer scanning order among four N×N sub-blocks of the 2N×2N TU; determining a second-layer scanning pattern for said four N×N sub-blocks; and providing scanned 2N×2N transform coefficients of the intra-coded or the inter-coded 2N×2N TU using double scanning based on the first-layer scanning order and the second-layer scanning pattern. In another embodiment, said determining the first-layer scanning order is dependent on the second-layer scanning pattern. The second-layer scanning pattern can be diagonal, horizontal or vertical.

Abstract: A method implemented in an apparatus for video coding a current block coded in an Inter, Merge, or Skip mode determines neighboring blocks of the current block, wherein a motion vector predictor (MVP) candidate set is derived from MVP candidates associated with the neighboring blocks. The method determines at least one redundant MVP candidate, if said MVP candidate is within a same PU (Prediction Unit) as another MVP candidate in the MVP candidate set. The method removes said at least one redundant MVP candidate from the MVP candidate set, and provides a modified MVP candidate set for determining a final MVP, wherein the modified MVP candidate set corresponds to the MVP candidate set with said at least one redundant MVP candidate removed. Finally, the method encodes or decodes the current block according to the final MVP.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a video coding method for processing a current prediction unit (PU) with a sub-PU temporal motion vector prediction (TMVP) mode. The method can include receiving the current PU including sub-PUs, determining an initial motion vector that is a motion vector of a spatial neighboring block of the current PU, performing a searching process to search for a main collocated picture in a sequence of reference pictures of the current PU based on the initial motion vector, and obtaining collocated motion information in the main collocated picture for the sub-PUs of the current PU. The searching process can include turning on motion vector scaling operation for searching a subset of the sequence of reference pictures, and turning off the motion vector scaling operation for searching the other reference pictures in the sequence of reference pictures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding using coding modes including a palette mode are disclosed. In one embodiment, the total number of palette indices in the current block is coded into a binary string using a TR (Truncated Rice) binarization process with the Rice parameter to generate a prefix part and using an EGk (k-th order Exp-Golomb) binary process to generate a suffix part for the binary string, or using the EGk binarization process with the Rice parameter (k). The suffix part is allowed to be empty. In another embodiment, a Rice parameter is determined. If the Rice parameter is equal to or greater than log-base-2 of current block size, the variable related to a total number of palette indices in the current block of video data is binarized into a binary string using a fixed-length code with bit length equal to log-base-2 of current block size.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for non-local adaptive loop filtering. The method can include receiving reconstructed picture, dividing the picture into current patches, forming patch groups each including a current patch and a number of reference patches, determining a noise level for each of the patch groups, and denoising the patch groups with a non-local denoising technology. The determining a noise level for each of the patch groups can include calculating a pixel variance for a respective patch group, determining a pixel standard deviation (SD) of the respective patch group according to the calculated pixel variance by searching in a lookup table that indicates mapping relationship between patch group pixel SDs and patch group pixel variances, and calculating a noise level for the respective patch group based on a compression noise model that is a function of the pixel SD.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of motion compensation using the bi-directional optical flow (BIO) techniques are disclosed. According to one method, the use of BIO is extended to general bi-prediction motion compensation by including the case that two reference pictures correspond to two previously coded pictures. According to another method, the use of BIO is adaptively applied depending on the linearity of the two motion vectors associated with the two reference blocks or depending on block size of the current block. According to yet another method, the refined motion vectors by compensating the original motion vectors with the respective x-offset values and y-offset values are stored in a motion-vector buffer for motion vector prediction of one or more following blocks.

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 method and apparatus of video coding incorporating Deep Neural Network are disclosed. A target signal is processed using DNN (Deep Neural Network), where the target signal provided to DNN input corresponds to the reconstructed residual, output from the prediction process, the reconstruction process, one or more filtering processes, or a combination of them. The output data from DNN output is provided for the encoding process or the decoding process. The DNN can be used to restore pixel values of the target signal or to predict a sign of one or more residual pixels between the target signal and an original signal. An absolute value of one or more residual pixels can be signalled in the video bitstream and used with the sign to reduce residual error of the target signal.

Abstract: Methods for decoding of a video bitstream by a video decoding circuit are provided. In one implementation, a method receives coded data for a 2N×2N coding unit (CU) from the video bitstream, selects one or more first codewords according to whether asymmetric motion partition is disabled or enabled when a size of said 2N×2N CU is not equal to a smallest CU size, wherein none of the first codewords corresponds to INTER N×N partition, selects one or more second codewords when the size of said 2N×2N CU is equal to the smallest CU size, wherein none of the second codewords corresponds to the INTER N×N partition when N is 4, determines a CU structure for said 2N×2N CU from the video bitstream using said one or more first codewords or said one or more second codewords, and decodes the video bitstream using the CU structure.