Abstract: Various implementations provide one or more of improved programming channel change time and/or overall quality of television reception by using multiple transmission channels. In one particular implementation, a first layer of a picture is encoded using a first level of error protection. The encoded first layer has a first decoding delay. A second layer of the picture is encoded using a second level of error protection. The encoded second layer has a second decoding delay. The second level of error protection is lower than the first level of error protection, and the second decoding delay is longer than the first decoding delay. Other implementations provide a signal or signal structure carrying the encoded first and second layers. Yet further implementations decode the encoded first and second layers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a transcoder arrangement of transcoding a bitstream representing an original video source from an input format to an output format. The method comprises the steps of receiving (S10) the bitstream with the input video format, wherein the input video format is a high fidelity format; and receiving (S20) side information related to said video bitstream. Said side information comprising at least: a video bitstream representing the original video source with a low fidelity input video format, coding parameters optimized based on knowledge of the original video source; transform coefficients, indicative of a residual between the original video source and a decoded version of the high fidelity format.

Abstract: An image coding method for an image coding apparatus configured to divide an image into divisional blocks of a plurality of sizes and to perform coding on the image while controlling image quality according to a parameter value in units of divisional blocks includes acquiring a block size of a target block to be coded, acquiring a minimum block size used to control the parameter value, acquiring a state of division of the target block, acquiring the parameter value, determining whether the target block is divided according to the state of division of the target block, determining whether the block size of the target block is greater than or equal to the minimum block size, determining whether the block size of the target block is equal to the minimum block size, and coding the acquired parameter value.

Abstract: A system including one or more cloud computing units and a ground unit. The one or more cloud computing units may be configured to process video content. The ground unit may be configured to pre-process the video content and deliver the video content to the one or more cloud computing units.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a video conversion method and apparatus, relates to digital media technologies. A video source is received and compression distortion quality of the video source is acquired. A transcoding policy corresponding to the compression distortion quality of the video source is acquired according to the compression distortion quality of the video source. It is determining, according to the transcoding policy, whether the video source requires transcoding. Transcoding parameters are generated according to the transcoding policy if the video source requires transcoding. The transcoding policy includes target video quality and the transcoding parameters include a target resolution, a target frame rate, and a target bit rate. The video source is converted according to the target resolution, the target frame rate, and the target bit rate, and generating a transcoded video.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed for encoding and decoding a video frame using spatial prediction. The video frame is separated into a plurality of image blocks, and a plurality of spatial predictors is created for an image block using methods well-known in the art. The set of predictors is reduced to a set containing fewer spatial predictors before continuing the coding process for the block. The reduction of spatial predictors involves comparing a plurality of spatial predictors and grouping or processing a subset of the spatial predictors to a set of representative spatial predictors. Because the number of spatial predictors is reduced, fewer bits may be used in a bit stream to identify a chosen spatial predictor, thus improving the efficiency of the coding process.

Abstract: Techniques related to content adaptive parametric transforms for coding video are described.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of transforming an image file by an image file transformation apparatus, the method including providing an image file in a pixel-based format having a plurality of pixels, dividing the pixels into a plurality of patches, sampling the pixels to generate boundary conditions relating to each of the patches, deriving Fourier coefficients of a solution to a partial differential equation according to the boundary conditions, and outputting the Fourier coefficients for each of the patches as a transformed image file.

Abstract: There is provided at least one image processing apparatus capable of precisely reproducing a large blur similar to a background blur produced by a single-lens reflex camera, while suppressing a circuit scale for filter processing. A two-dimensional filter processing circuit of at least one embodiment of an image processing unit performs the filter processing using first to N-th division filters each having a plurality of filter coefficients (where N is an integer of 2 or more) on an input image to generate first to N-th intermediate images. A combination unit of the at least one embodiment of the image processing unit combines or adds together the first to N-th intermediate images generated by the two-dimensional filter processing circuit to generate an integrated image. Thus, a large blur similar to a background blur produced by the single-lens reflex camera can be precisely reproduced by small-size two-dimensional filter processing.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a enhancement to the Video Encoder component of the MPEG standard to improve both the efficiency and quality of the video presentation at the display device. The inventions described below pertain to the enhancement of video compression technology. In general, they are compatible with MPEG video standards (as in current art), but represent novel enhancements thereof. The above inventions apply to several transmission media and networks including cable, DSL, wireless, satellite and IP networks. Another category of invention in this disclosure enhances networking performance by recognizing that the transmitted information is video, rather than data. This invention can be scaled to other classes of multimedia data such as speech or audio or images.

Abstract: A system comprises a phase plane correlation (PPC) processing module configured to receive video data from a video source and generate a motion vector (MV) candidate, and a three-dimensional (3D) recursive processing module configured to receive the MV candidate from the PPC processing module, perform 3D recursive processing on a number of MV candidates including the MV candidate received from the PPC processing module, and select one of the MV candidates based on the 3D recursive processing.

Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded video bit stream in a video decoder is provided that includes determining a scan pattern type for a transform block to be decoded, decoding a column position X and a row position Y of a last non-zero coefficient in the transform block from the encoded video bit stream, selecting a column-row inverse transform order when the scan pattern type is a first type, selecting a row-column inverse transform order when the scan pattern type is a second type, and performing one dimensional (1D) inverse discrete cosine transformation (IDCT) computations according to the selected transform order to inversely transform the transform block to generate a residual block.

Abstract: A system an method for determining to select frames from a video sequence that have high visual appeal and can be coded at high quality when frame rates of coded video drop to such low levels that perceptual sensations of moving video are lost. A metric is derived from a candidate input frame, and such metric is used to determine whether to increase or decrease a weight accorded to the candidate input frame. In an embodiment, the metric may be the auto-exposure data associated with the candidate input frame.

Abstract: A system for processing a video signal includes a static region identification and separation module for generating static region image data corresponding to a static region of the video signal, for generating dynamic region video data corresponding to at least one dynamic region in the video signal and for generating dynamic region location data that indicates at least one location corresponding to the at least one dynamic region in the video signal. A static region encoding module image encodes the state region image data to produce encoded static region data. A video encoder section generates at least one encoded video signal by compressing the dynamic region video data.

Abstract: A method for scalable encoding of a digital image into a base layer and at least one enhancement layer comprising an up-sampling step providing at least one part of an enhancement layer, based on a corresponding part of a lower layer having a lower level than the considered enhancement layer, the area of said corresponding parts having a scale factor of 4p (p?1), the lower layer comprising at least one Largest Coding Unit divisible into Q smaller Coding Units, said units being further divisible into K Prediction Units called lower Prediction Units. For a Largest Coding Unit of said lower layer not divided into smaller Coding Units, and having Prediction Units of different sizes, the corresponding portion of said enhancement layer, is divided into K subdivisions having substantially equivalent proportions as the Prediction Units of different sizes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for interlayer intra-prediction, and the method for interlayer intra-prediction, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: deciding whether to apply an interlayer prediction to an enhancement layer; and performing a prediction on a current block of the enhancement layer based on reference information that is generalized and generated from a reference picture, which is decoded, of a reference layer, when the interlayer prediction is applied.

Abstract: A method of processing video data includes generating a prediction signal (PS) corresponding to a Macro Block (MB), calculating a prediction residue signal (PRS) of the MB from the prediction signal (PS), predicting a reconstructed prediction residual signal (RPRS) from a reconstructed residue reference frame (RRRF), and identifying an error of residue signal (EORS) by subtracting the RPRS from the PRS. The method further includes comparing the PRS of the MB and the EORS, identifying a residue signal having a least error value based on a result of the comparison, and generating an encoded bit stream for transmission based on the residue signal having the least error value. The residue signal is identified by correlating the prediction residue signal of the MB and the RPRS of a reference frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method offor signaling information on a prediction mode and to a method of for decoding image information using same. According to the present invention, the method offor signaling prediction mode information, serving according to the present invention, as a method offor signaling image information, includes performing prediction on a current block and signaling the prediction-type information applied to the current block. The signaling of the information includes joint-coding and components of signaling information components constituting the prediction-type information. According to the present invention, overhead may be reduced when information on a prediction is signaled.

Abstract: Provided is a method derives a reference picture index and a motion vector of a current prediction unit, generates a prediction block of the current prediction unit using the reference picture index and the motion vector, generating a residual block by inverse-scan, inverse-quantization and inverse transform, and generates reconstructed pixels using the prediction block and the residual block. Prediction pixels of the prediction block is generated using an interpolation filter selected based on the motion vector. Accordingly, the coding efficiency of the motion information is improved by including various merge candidates. Also, the computational complexity of an encoder and a decoder is reduced by selecting different filter according to location of the prediction pixels determined by the motion vector.

Abstract: Provided is a method derives a reference picture index and a motion vector of a current prediction unit, generates a prediction block of the current prediction unit using the reference picture index and the motion vector, generating a residual block by inverse-scan, inverse-quantization and inverse transform, and generates reconstructed pixels using the prediction block and the residual block. Prediction pixels of the prediction block is generated using an interpolation filter selected based on the motion vector. Accordingly, the coding efficiency of the motion information is improved by including various merge candidates. Also, the computational complexity of an encoder and a decoder is reduced by selecting different filter according to location of the prediction pixels determined by the motion vector.

Abstract: An image processing device including a decoding section that decodes an encoded stream and generates quantized transform coefficient data, and an inverse quantization section that, taking transform coefficient data as transform units to be used during inverse orthogonal transform, inversely quantizes the quantized transform coefficient data decoded by the decoding section, such that in a case where a non-square transform unit is selected, the inverse quantization section uses a non-square quantization matrix, corresponding to a non-square transform unit, that is generated from a square quantization matrix corresponding to a square transform unit.

Abstract: Provided is a method derives a reference picture index and a motion vector of a current prediction unit, generates a prediction block of the current prediction unit using the reference picture index and the motion vector, generating a residual block by inverse-scan, inverse-quantization and inverse transform, and generates reconstructed pixels using the prediction block and the residual block. Prediction pixels of the prediction block is generated using an interpolation filter selected based on the motion vector. Accordingly, the coding efficiency of the motion information is improved by including various merge candidates. Also, the computational complexity of an encoder and a decoder is reduced by selecting different filter according to location of the prediction pixels determined by the motion vector.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for determining optimal sampling grid during seismic data reconstruction includes: a) constructing an optimization model, via a computing processor, given by minu?Su?1s.t. ?Ru?b?2?? wherein S is a discrete transform matrix, b is seismic data on an observed grid, u is seismic data on a reconstruction grid, and matrix R is a sampling operator; b) defining mutual coherence as ? ? C S ? m ( log ? ? n ) 6 , wherein C is a constant, S is a cardinality of Su, m is proportional to number of seismic traces on the observed grid, and n is proportional to number of seismic traces on the reconstruction grid; c) deriving a mutual coherence proxy, wherein the mutual coherence proxy is a proxy for mutual coherence when S is over-complete and wherein the mutual coherence proxy is exactly the mutual coherence when S is a Fourier transform; and d) determining a sample grid r*=arg minr ?(r).

Abstract: Provided is a method derives a reference picture index and a motion vector of a current prediction unit, generates a prediction block of the current prediction unit using the reference picture index and the motion vector, generating a residual block by inverse-scan, inverse-quantization and inverse transform, and generates reconstructed pixels using the prediction block and the residual block. Prediction pixels of the prediction block is generated using an interpolation filter selected based on the motion vector. Accordingly, the coding efficiency of the motion information is improved by including various merge candidates. Also, the computational complexity of an encoder and a decoder is reduced by selecting different filter according to location of the prediction pixels determined by the motion vector.

Abstract: An encoded bit stream is processed by a lossless decoding unit (52), an inverse quantization unit (53), and an inverse orthogonal transform unit (54) in this order, to obtain orthogonally transformed coefficient data and encoding parameter information. The inverse orthogonal transform unit (54) performs an inverse orthogonal transform on the coefficient data by using bases that are set beforehand in accordance with the locations of transform blocks in a macroblock indicated by the encoding parameter information. In this manner, prediction error data is obtained. An intra prediction unit (62) generates predicted image data. An addition unit (55) adds the predicted image data to the prediction error data, to decode image data. By using bases that are set in accordance with the locations of transform blocks, an optimum inverse orthogonal transform can be performed, and encoding efficiency can be increased.

Abstract: Multi-layered video structures are scaled over a range of perceived quality levels. An estimated Mean Opinion Score (eMOS)-based encoder control loop is utilized to determine one or more encoder key performance index (KPI) associated with a particular perceived quality level. A KPI-based encoder control loop is then utilized to guide generation of a hierarchical structure having quality and/or temporal and/or spatial enhancement layers, without recalculating eMOS for the scalable structure. In addition, eMOS is used to guide the generation of a hierarchical structure at best-perceived quality levels for a given bitrate budget. Rate adaptation may occur by dropping segments, changing hierarchical structure, or changing the KPI target values. With the structure scaled as a function of perceived quality, perceived quality is impacted predictably as the encoding rate is adapted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for video coding having intra-slice deblocking, intra-slice adaptive loop filter, and intra-slice adaptive offset are disclosed. In a video coding system, a picture is often divided into slices and each slice is independently processed so that errors or missing data from one slice cannot propagate to any other slice within the picture. In the recent high efficiency video coding (HEVC) development, deblock filtering (DF), adaptive loop filter (ALF) and adaptive offset (AO) may be applied to reconstructed slices. When the processing is applied across slice boundaries, it may rely on pixels outside the current slice and cause dependency of the current slice on other slice(s). Consequently, the DF/ALF/AO processing on a reconstructed slice may have to wait until the reconstructed slices that it is dependent from complete the DF/ALF/AO processing. To overcome the slice boundary issue, intra-slice DF/ALF/AO is developed that does not rely on any pixel outside the currently slice.

Abstract: A system for processing an image of a human face, the system including a data processing and analyzing utility including a high-pass filtering module outputting a high-pass signal indicative of edges or contours of the face in the input image data; at least one band-pass filtering module outputting a bandpass signal indicative of low-contrast slowly-varying qualitative features of the face; a low-pass filtering module outputting a low-pass signal in which low-contrast regions are smoothed and high-contrast regions are preserved; a feature computation module calculating a localized feature of the image for a plurality of pixels of the image; a strength computation module determining a localized operand using the localized feature to determine a strength of filters to be used in the high-pass, band-pass, and low-pass filtering modules at the pixels, and transmitting the localized operand to the filtering modules; at least one transformation module altering a portion of the high-pass, the bandpass, or the low-pa

Abstract: Data are maintained in a distributed computing system that describe a directed graph representing relationships among a set of items. The directed graph models a condition having an associated problem. The directed graph has graph components having associated data fields. The relationships are analyzed to identify a solution to the problem. As part of the analysis, a new value for the data field associated with a graph component is identified responsive to an operation performed during the analysis. The new value is compared with an existing value of the data field, and the data field is modified. The modification may include inserting the new value into an overflow vector of data, and replacing the existing value in the data field with exception information identifying the location of the new value. An exception flag associated with the data field is set to indicate that the exception information is being used.

Abstract: A motion video encoding apparatus includes: a group determining unit which determines, for each block, a group to which the block belongs; a group decode time information computing unit which computes a decode time for each group; a code amount control unit which controls, for each group, an amount of code resulting from entropy encoding each block in the group so that data needed for decoding all of the blocks in the group arrives at a stream receive buffer by a decode time of the group when the data is transmitted at a prescribed transmission rate; a compression unit which compresses the data of each block based on the amount of code of the block; an entropy encoding unit which entropy-encodes the compressed data of each block; and a decode information appending unit which appends, to data to be output, correction information for the decode time of each group.

Abstract: Apparatus 10 for processing image data comprises an input 11 arranged to receive image data representing an image. The image data comprises a luminance component 13 at a first spatial resolution and at least one chrominance component 14 at a second, lower, spatial resolution. An up-sampling unit 18 up-samples the spatial resolution of the at least one chrominance component 14 to form an up-sampled chrominance component. A guided image filter (GIF) 20 filters the up-sampled chrominance component. The guided image filter comprises a radius parameter which determines an extent of the filter around a pixel. A control unit 15 for the guided image filter 20 determines a value of the radius parameter of the guided image filter. The value of the radius parameter is variable for different pixels of the image, or for different regions of pixels of the image. The control unit 15 can analyze the image data to determine the value of the radius parameter.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for encoding an image that adaptively filters reference pixels according to an intra prediction mode and a size of a prediction block, and generates the prediction block according to the intra prediction mode. When the reference pixels for a second directional intra prediction mode are filtered, the reference pixels for a first directional intra prediction mode, that is closer to an intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to a horizontal mode than the second directional intra prediction mode is, are also filtered. The first and the second directional intra prediction mode exist between the horizontal mode and the intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to the horizontal mode. The plurality of sub-blocks and non-zero coefficients of each sub-block are scanned according to a scan pattern determined by the intra prediction mode.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for encoding an image that adaptively filters reference pixels according to an intra prediction mode and a size of a prediction block, and generates the prediction block according to the intra prediction mode. When the reference pixels for a second directional intra prediction mode are filtered, the reference pixels for a first directional intra prediction mode, that is closer to an intra prediction mode having a direction of 45° with reference to a horizontal mode than the second directional intra prediction mode is, are also filtered. The first and the second intra prediction modes exist between the horizontal mode and the intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to the horizontal mode. The plurality of sub-blocks and non-zero coefficients of each sub-block are scanned according to a scan pattern determined by the intra prediction mode of the prediction block.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for encoding an image that adaptively filters reference pixels according to an intra prediction mode and a size of a prediction block, and generates the prediction block according to the intra prediction mode. When the reference pixels for a second directional intra prediction mode are filtered, the reference pixels for a first directional intra prediction mode, that is closer to an intra prediction mode having a direction of 45° with reference to a horizontal mode than the second directional intra prediction mode is, are also filtered. The first and the second intra prediction modes exist between the horizontal mode and the intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to the horizontal mode. The plurality of sub-blocks and non-zero coefficients of each sub-block are scanned according to a scan pattern determined by the intra prediction mode of the prediction block.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for encoding an image that adaptively filters reference pixels according to an intra prediction mode and a size of a prediction block, and generates the prediction block according to the intra prediction mode. When the reference pixels for a second directional intra prediction mode are filtered, the reference pixels for a first directional intra prediction mode, that is closer to an intra prediction mode having a direction of 45° with reference to a horizontal mode than the second directional intra prediction mode is, are also filtered. The first and the second intra prediction modes exist between the horizontal mode and the intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to the horizontal mode. The plurality of sub-blocks and non-zero coefficients of each sub-block are scanned according to a scan pattern determined by the intra prediction mode of the prediction block.

Abstract: An image coding method for an image coding apparatus configured to divide an image into divisional blocks of a plurality of sizes and to perform coding on the image while controlling image quality according to a parameter value in units of divisional blocks includes acquiring a block size of a target block to be coded, acquiring a minimum block size used to control the parameter value, acquiring a state of division of the target block, acquiring the parameter value, determining whether the target block is divided according to the state of division of the target block, determining whether the block size of the target block is greater than or equal to the minimum block size; determining whether the block size of the target block is equal to the minimum block size, and coding the acquired parameter value.

Abstract: A method for encoding transform coefficients in a video encoding process includes dividing a block of transform coefficients into a plurality of zones, determining a scan order for each of the plurality of zones, and performing a scan on each of the transform coefficients in each of the plurality of zones according to their respective determined scan order. In another example, a method for decoding transform coefficients in a video encoding process includes receiving a one-dimensional array of transform coefficients, determining a scan order for each of a plurality of sections of the one-dimensional array, wherein each section of the one-dimensional array corresponds to one of a plurality of zones defining a block of transform coefficients, and performing a scan on each of the transform coefficients in each of the section of the one dimensional array of zones according to their respective determined scan order.

Abstract: A video encoding apparatus appends decoding delay correction information and display delay correction information to encoded video data in order to ensure that even when one or more pictures that are later in encoding order in the video data than a first picture that may potentially be spliced to a trailing end of other encoded video data have been discarded, the first picture and subsequent pictures in the encoded video data can be continuously decoded and displayed by a video decoding apparatus. The video decoding apparatus corrects the decoding delay and display delay of the first picture and its subsequent pictures by using the decoding delay correction information and display delay correction information.

Abstract: Context-adaptive variable length bitstream decoding performance may be improved and power consumption reduced by pushing the variable length decoding beyond one syntax element per clock pulse.

Abstract: Systems and methods for low complexity forward transforms using zeroed-out coefficients are described herein. One aspect of the subject matter described in the disclosure provides a video encoder comprising a memory configured to store a video block. The video encoder further comprises a processor in communication with the memory. The processor is configured to determine a full power value of the video block. The processor is further configured to determine a reduced transform coefficient matrix, wherein the reduced transform coefficient matrix comprises an inner region of zero or non-zero values of the same inner region of a full transform coefficient matrix and an outer region of zero values, wherein the reduced transform coefficient matrix and the full transform coefficient matrix have the same size. The processor is further configured to determine a partial power value of the video block using the reduced transform coefficient matrix.

Abstract: Methods and systems for video encoding, using a variance measure to directly effect efficiencies and optimizations at various stages of video encoding to improve compute cycle, power, heat and bandwidth efficiency and decoded picture quality and decrease the bit length of encoded frames. Download rate and decoding efficiency are also improved as a result of the improvements realized at the encoder.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus to enhance the image contrast of a digital image device while simultaneously compensating for image intensity inhomogeneity, regardless of the source. The present invention corrects intensity inhomogeneities producing a more uniform image appearance. Also, the image is enhanced through increased contrast, e.g., tissue contrast in a medical image. The method makes no assumptions as to the source of the inhomogeneities, e.g., physical device characteristics or positioning of the object being imaged. In the method, the error between the histogram of the spatially-weighted original image and a specified histogram is minimized. The specified histogram may be selected to increase contrast generally or particularly for accentuation, e.g., on localized regions of interest. The weighting is preferably achieved by two-dimensional interpolation of a sparse grid of control points overlaying the image.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for super resolution video coding using compressive measurements. The method includes receiving, by a decoder, a set of measurements, where the set of measurements represents encoded video data having original video data with an original display resolution. The method further includes determining, by the decoder, a display resolution, where the display resolution is higher than the original display resolution, and determining a reduction matrix based on at least a number of pixels for the determined display resolution, where the reduction matrix includes a pattern of values. The method further includes reconstructing, by the decoder, the video data or a portion of the video data using the determined reduction matrix and the received set of measurements such that the original display resolution is enlarged to the determined display resolution.

Abstract: An image processing method may include collecting a video image and a depth map of an object; segmenting, using the depth map, a video image frame corresponding to the video image at a same moment to obtain a contour of a foreground image in the video image frame; performing, according to the contour of the foreground image, first encoding on pixels of a video image inside the contour of the foreground image in the video image frame and second encoding on pixels of a video image outside the contour in the video image frame, where an encoding rate of the first encoding is higher than an encoding rate of the second encoding. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an occupation rate of network bandwidth in a video image transmission process can be lowered.

Abstract: A computing device may determine a per-tile motion estimate between a first m×n pixel tile from a first captured image of a scene and a second m×n pixel tile from a second captured image of the scene. A per-tile confidence of the per-tile motion estimate may be obtained. The per-tile motion estimate and the per-tile confidence may be upsampled to obtain respective per-pixel motion estimates and associated per-pixel confidences for pixels of the first m×n pixel tile. The respective per-pixel motion estimates and associated per-pixel confidences may be iteratively filtered. The iterative filtering may involve multiplying the respective per-pixel motion estimates and associated per-pixel confidences by an affinity matrix. The iterative filtering may also smooth the respective per-pixel motion estimates and associated per-pixel confidences.

Abstract: A multimedia provider multicasts a main multimedia stream comprising a mixture of intra and inter frames and multicasts an associated auxiliary stream comprising intra frames. At least a portion of the intra frames in the auxiliary stream are generated based on same multimedia data as at least a portion of the inter frames of the main stream. The provider also transmits a stream information channel comprising information descriptive of time instances of intra frames in the main and auxiliary streams. This information allows a set top box to selectively connect, in connection with session set-up and channel switch, to the main or auxiliary stream to receive an intra frame with as a low delay as possible.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for implementing an 8-point inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT). An apparatus comprising an 8-point inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) hardware unit may implement these techniques to transform media data from a frequency domain to a spatial domain. The 8-point IDCT hardware unit includes an even portion comprising factors A, B that are related to a first scaled factor (?) in accordance with a first relationship. The 8-point IDCT hardware unit also includes an odd portion comprising third, fourth, fifth and sixth internal factors (G, D, E, Z) that are related to a second scaled factor (?) in accordance with a second relationship. The first relationship relates the first scaled factor to the first and second internal factors. The second relationship relates the second scaled factor to the third, fourth, fifth and sixth internal factors.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for processing of data related to video wherein reduced bit depth intermediate calculations are enabled.