Abstract: A method is provided for encoding a digital video to improve perceptual quality. The method includes receiving a digital video at a video encoder, providing a perceptual quantizer function defined by PQ ? ( L ) = ( c 1 + c 2 ? L m 1 1 + c 3 ? L m 1 ) m 2 , wherein L is a luminance value, c1, c2, c3, and m1 are parameters with fixed values, and m2 is a parameter with a variable value, adapting the perceptual quantizer function by adjusting the value of the m2 parameter based on different luminance value ranges found within a coding level of the digital video, encoding the digital video into a bitstream using, in part, the perceptual quantizer function, transmitting the bitstream to a decoder, and transmitting the value of the m2 parameter to the decoder for each luminance value range in the coding level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing picture slices is disclosed. The method determines if the slice of the current picture excludes any predictive coding derived from another picture. If the slice of the current picture is designated to exclude any predictive coding derived from another picture, a flag is set to a first logic state, and if the slice of the current picture is not designated to exclude any predictive coding derived from another picture, the flag is set to a second logic state. Further, at least a portion of predicted weight processing of the slice of the current picture is bypassed according to the logic state of the flag.

Abstract: A method for coding a coding unit that is coded with a single sample value is provided. The method selects a coding pattern from at least two predetermined coding patterns, each of which includes a plurality of boundary neighboring samples of the coding unit that have been reconstructed, and decodes the coding unit according to a value of at least one of the plurality of boundary neighboring samples of the selected coding pattern that is available.

Abstract: Depth based block partitioning in high efficiency video coding is provided by partitioning a video image block into different partitions using a binary segmentation mask. A determination is made whether to filter pixels at a boundary between the partitions. A particular pixel is not filtered in response to each adjacent pixel in vertical and horizontal planes in relation to the particular pixel having a same value. The particular pixel is filtered in response to any adjacent pixel in the vertical and horizontal planes in relation to the particular pixel having a different value than any other adjacent pixel in the vertical and horizontal planes in relation to the particular pixel. Pixels are filtered pursuant to a filtering process in response to a filtering determination.

Abstract: A method for reducing a computational load in high efficiency video coding includes generating a full rate distortion calculation list of selected intra coding modes where the intra coding modes including intra prediction modes and depth modeling modes. A rate distortion cost is determined, with a segment-wise depth coding mode being disabled, for each intra prediction mode in the full rate distortion calculation list and a smallest rate distortion cost intra prediction mode is selected. A rate distortion cost for a particular intra prediction mode is calculated with the segment-wise depth coding mode enabled. After comparison, one of the particular intra prediction mode and the smallest rate distortion cost intra prediction mode having the smallest rate distortion cost is applied to a prediction unit.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive video views comprising a reference view and a current view, wherein the reference view comprises a reference block and the current view comprises a current block, and a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to determine neighboring reference pixels associated with the reference block, determine neighboring current pixels associated with the current block, determine a first positional pairing between the neighboring reference pixels and the neighboring current pixels, determine a second positional pairing between the neighboring reference pixels and the neighboring current pixels, and determine an optimal pairing from between the first positional pairing and the second positional pairing.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for achieving improved View Synthesis Distortion (VSD) calculation and more accurate distortion estimation of encoded video frames. An embodiment method includes obtaining a depth map value for a video frame and determining a weighting factor for depth distortion in accordance with the depth map value. The weighting factor maps a pixel range of the depth map value to an output function having higher values for closer image objects and lower values for farther image objects. The VSD for the video frame is then calculated as a function of absolute horizontal texture gradients weighted by a depth distortion value and the weighting factor determined in accordance with the depth map value.

Abstract: A video codec configured to receive a current block and a plurality of neighboring pixels, wherein the current block comprises a first partition and a second partition, select one or more reference pixels from the plurality of neighboring pixels, and predict a plurality of pixels located in the second partition based on the reference pixels.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method, device and computer-readable storage medium for decoding video data. The method includes: obtaining a reference sample array of a video block; obtaining a sum of the reference sample array; calculating a threshold by performing arithmetic right shift to the sum, a shift value of the arithmetic right shift being determined according to size information of the video block; and determining the binary partition pattern by comparing the reference sample array with the threshold.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method, apparatus and computer program product for prediction mode selection for coding a block of a depth map. An ordered list of coding modes is obtained, wherein the ordered list of coding modes comprises a plurality of coding modes. And whether a depth modeling mode and/or a region boundary chain mode is to be added into the ordered list of coding modes in accordance with a decision condition is determined.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding an intra predicted residual block of an image for use in image or video compression. The intra predicted residual block is associated with an intra prediction coding mode. The method includes generating a set of residual error blocks including residual data with different statistical characteristics from the residual data in the intra predicted residual block. Each of the residual error blocks is scanned and entropy coded to produce a first set of bit streams. The lengths of each of the first set of bit streams are recorded. The intra predicted residual block is also scanned and entropy coded to produce a second bit stream. The length of the second bit stream is recorded. Selecting the minimum length bit stream from the first set of bit streams and the second bit stream as the output coded bit stream of the intra predicted residual block.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method, apparatus and computer program product for prediction mode selection for coding a block of a depth map. An ordered list of coding modes is obtained, wherein the ordered list of coding modes comprises a plurality of coding modes each of which is capable of being used for coding of the block. A plurality of depth modeling modes (DMMs) each of which is capable of being used for coding of the block are obtained. And whether a DMM of the plurality of DMMs is to be added into the ordered list of coding modes in accordance with a decision condition is determined.