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Improved rate-distortion optimized video coding using non-integer bit estimation and multiple Lambda search

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Abstract

Many modern video encoders use the Lagrangian rate-distortion optimization (RDO) algorithm for mode decisions during the compression procedure. For each encoding stage, this approach involves minimizing a cost, which is a function of rate, distortion and a multiplier called Lambda. This paper proposes to improve the RDO process by applying two modifications. The first modification is to increase the accuracy of rate estimation, which is achieved by computing a non-integer number of bits for arithmetic coding of the syntax elements. This leads to a more accurate cost computation and therefore a better mode decision. The second modification is to search and adjust the value of Lambda based on the characteristics of each coding stage. For the encoder used, this paper proposes to search multiple values of Lambda for the intra-4×4mode decision. Moreover, a simple shift in Lambda value is proposed for motion estimation. Each of these modifications offers a certain gain in RDO performance, and, when all are combined, an average bit-rate saving of up to 7.0% can be achieved for the H.264/AVC codec while the same concept is applicable to the H.265/HEVC codec as well. The extra added complexity is contained to a certain level, and is also adjustable according to the processing resources available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MPI-QMUL Information Systems Research Centre, Macao Polytechnic Institute, Macao, China

    Sio Kei Im

  2. Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, University of Essex, Colchestey, CO4 3SQ, UK

    Mohammad Mahdi Ghandi

Authors
  1. Sio Kei Im
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  2. Mohammad Mahdi Ghandi
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Correspondence to Sio Kei Im.

Additional information

Sio Kei Im received his degree in computer science in 1998 and the master degree in enterprise information system in 1999, both from King’s College, University of London, UK. He received the PhD degree in electronic engineering from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), UK in 2007. He gained the position of Lecturer within the Computing Programme at Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) in 2001. In 2005, he became the operations manager of the MPIQMUL information systems research centre jointly operated byMPI and QMUL where he carried out signal processing work. In 2009, he was promoted to be the associate professor at the Macao Polytechnic Institute. Currently, he is a visiting scholar at School of Engineering, UCLA and a member of IET.

Mohammad Mahdi Ghandi received his BS and MS degrees in electronics engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran in 1998 and 2001 respectively. After two years of industrial experience in image and video coding, he, as a senior research officer, joined the Video Networking Group at the University of Essex, UK in 2003, where he published several papers in the field of video communications. He was also granted a PhD degree from this university. Since 2006, he returned back to TV broadcasting industry as a designer of compression systems while maintaining some of his academic activities. His research interests include reliable image and video transmission, advanced video codecs, and video transcoding.

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Im, S.K., Ghandi, M.M. Improved rate-distortion optimized video coding using non-integer bit estimation and multiple Lambda search. Front. Comput. Sci. 10, 157–166 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-015-5066-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-015-5066-1

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