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Adaptive QP offset selection algorithm for virtual reality 360-degree video based on CTU complexity

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Abstract

Virtual reality 360-degree video requires ultra-high resolution to provide realistic feeling and dynamic perspective. Huge data volume brings new challenges to coding and transmission. Quantization parameter (QP) is one of the key parameters to control output bitrate and reconstruction quality during coding process. Many QP offset selection algorithms designed for this kind of video are based on latitude or Equirectangular Projection (ERP) weight maps, which cannot adapt to the situation of the flat block in tropical area or the complex block in polar area. In this paper, a new metric to measure complexity of Coding Tree Unit (CTU) is designed, and an adaptive QP offset selection algorithm is proposed based on CTU complexity to improve the quantization process. Each CTU is classified into one of the five categories according to its complexity, and then different QP offset value is determined for each category. By improving the quality of the visually sensitive area and reducing the bitrate of the flat one, the efficiency of the encoder is improved. The experimental results show that, compared with the HM16.20, the WS-PSNR increases by 0.40 dB, the BD-rate reduces by 1.99%, and the quality of visually sensitive areas has improved significantly.

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Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (No.4202018), Great Wall Scholar Project of Beijing Municipal Education Commission (CIT&TCD20180304), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.61972023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Information Science and Technology, North China University of Technology, Beijing, 100041, China

    Zhi Liu, Ke Yang, Mengmeng Zhang & Fuqi Mao

  2. Yi Xinda (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100080, China

    Xianya Fu

  3. Institute of Information Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China

    Zhao Wang

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  1. Zhi Liu
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  2. Ke Yang
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  3. Xianya Fu
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  4. Mengmeng Zhang
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Correspondence to Zhi Liu or Mengmeng Zhang.

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Liu, Z., Yang, K., Fu, X. et al. Adaptive QP offset selection algorithm for virtual reality 360-degree video based on CTU complexity. Multimed Tools Appl 80, 3951–3967 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-020-09922-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-020-09922-2

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