Zero-Block Mode Decision Algorithm for H.264/AVC

• Published in: IEEE transactions on image processing Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 524 - 533
• Main Authors: LEE, Yu-Ming, YINYI LIN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.03.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Automatic voltage control; Bit rate; Coding; Computation; Computational efficiency; Computer Communication Networks; Computing time; Data Compression - methods; Data Compression - standards; Decision Support Techniques; Discrete cosine transform (DCT); Discrete cosine transforms; early zero-block detection; Exact sciences and technology; fast mode decision; Frames; H.264/AVC; High performance computing; IEC standards; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Image processing; Information, signal and communications theory; Internationality; ISO standards; Lagrangian functions; Mathematical analysis; Miscellaneous; MPEG 4 Standard; Quantization; quantization parameter; Reproducibility of Results; Sampling, quantization; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal and communications theory; Signal processing; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Telecommunications and information theory; variable block-size; Video coding; Video Recording - methods; Video Recording - standards; zero-block decision; Video coding; Performance evaluation; zero-block decision; Discrete cosine transform (DCT); Video signal; H.264/AVC; Algorithm; Video signal processing; quantization parameter; variable block-size; Signal quantization; Image sequence; Signal processing; fast mode decision; High bit rate; Discrete cosine transforms; early zero-block detection; High rate transmission
• ISSN: 1057-7149; 1941-0042
• DOI: 10.1109/TIP.2008.2009858

In the previous paper , we proposed a zero-block intermode decision algorithm for H.264 video coding based upon the number of zero-blocks of 4times4 DCT coefficients between the current macroblock and the co-located macroblock. The proposed algorithm can achieve significant improvement in computation, but the computation performance is limited for high bit-rate coding. To improve computation efficiency, in this paper, we suggest an enhanced zero-block decision algorithm, which uses an early zero-block detection method to compute the number of zero-blocks instead of direct DCT and quantization (DCT/Q) calculation and incorporates two adequate decision methods into semi-stationary and nonstationary regions of a video sequence. In addition, the zero-block decision algorithm is also applied to the intramode prediction in the P frame. The enhanced zero-block decision algorithm brings out a reduction of average 27% of total encoding time compared to the zero-block decision algorithm.