Mohammed Ghanbari

The cross-search algorithm for motion estimation (image coding)

A fast block-matching algorithm for motion estimation is presented. It is based on a logarithmic step where, in each search step, only four locations are tested. For a motion displacement of w pels/frame, this technique requires 5+4 log/sub 2/w computations to locate the best match. Using sequences of CIF standard pictures, the interframe motion compensated prediction error with this technique is compared to the other fast methods. The computational complexity of this algorithm is also compared against those methods. >

Two-layer coding of video signals for VBR networks

Two-layer conditional-replenishment coding of video signals over a variable-bit-rate (VBR) network is described. A slotted-ring network based on an Orwell protocol is assumed, where transmission of certain packets is guaranteed. The two-layer coder produces two output bit streams: the first bit stream contains all the important structural information in the image and is accommodated in the guaranteed capacity of the network, while the second adds the necessary quality finish. The performance of the coder is tested with CIF standard sequences and broadcast-quality pictures. The portion of the VBR channel allocated to the lower layer as guaranteed bandwidth is examined. Using broadcast-quality pictures, statistics were obtained on the performance of this system for different choices of bit rate in the lower layer. The effect of lost packets is shown on CIF standard picture sequences. It is shown that the coder performs well for a guaranteed channel rate as low as 10-20% of the total bit rate. >

Heterogeneous video transcoding to lower spatio-temporal resolutions and different encoding formats

In this work, transcoding of pre-encoded MPEG-1, 2 video into lower bit rates is realized through altering the coding algorithm into H.261/H.263 standards with lower spatio-temporal resolutions. For this heterogeneous transcoding, we extract and compose a set of candidate motion vectors, from the incoming bit stream, to comply with the encoding format of the output bit stream. For the spatial resolution reduction we generate one motion vector out of a set of input motion vectors operating on the higher spatial resolution image. Finally, for the temporal resolution reduction we compose new motion vectors from the dropped frames motion vectors. Throughout the paper, we discuss the impact of motion estimation refinement on the new motion vectors and show that for all cases a simple half-pixel refinement is sufficient for near-optimum results.

A frequency-domain video transcoder for dynamic bit-rate reduction of MPEG-2 bit streams

Many of the forthcoming video services and multimedia applications are expected to use preencoded video for storage and transmission. Video transcoding is intended to provide transmission flexibility to preencoded bit streams by dynamically adjusting the bit rate of these bit streams according to new bandwidth constraints that were unknown at the time of encoding. In this paper, we propose a drift-free MPEG-2 video transcoder, working entirely in the frequency domain. The various modes of motion compensation (MC) defined in MPEG-2 are implemented in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain at reduced computational complexity. By using approximate matrices to compute the MC-DCT blocks, we show that computational complexity can be reduced by 81% compared with the pixel domain approach. Moreover, by using a Lagrangian rate-distortion optimization for bit reallocation, we show that optimal transcoding of high-quality bit streams can produce better picture quality than that obtained by directly encoding the uncompressed video at the same bit rates using a nonoptimized Test Model 5 (TM5) encoder.

Cell-loss concealment in ATM video codecs

Methods for the interpolation of lost cells in asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) networks are studied. It is shown that use of motion-compensated previous frames gives the best results. The quality of the interpolated pictures improves if the motion vectors truly represent the actual motion in the scene. This is only possible with a two-layer coding scheme, where the motion vectors can be delivered to the decoder through the base-layer guaranteed channel. In derivation of the motion vectors at the encoder, use of uncoded input picture frames outperforms the conventional method of motion extraction from the previous coded pictures, despite the lower bit rate of the latter to the former. Depending on the quality of the base layer and the scene activity, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the cell-loss-interpolated areas can be improved by up to 10 dB. >

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Congestion Control for Video Streaming Across IP Networks

Intelligent congestion control is vital for encoded video streaming of a clip or film, as network traffic volatility and the associated uncertainties require constant adjustment of the bit rate. Existing solutions, including the standard transmission control protocol (TCP) friendly rate control equation-based congestion controller, are prone to fluctuations in their sending rate and may respond only when packet loss has already occurred. This is a major problem, because both fluctuations and packet loss affect the end-users perception of the delivered video. A type-1 (T1) fuzzy logic congestion controller (FLC) can operate at video display rates and can reduce packet loss and rate fluctuations, despite uncertainties in measurements of delay arising from congestion and network traffic volatility. However, a T1 FLC employing precise T1 fuzzy sets cannot fully cope with the uncertainties associated with such dynamic network environments. A type-2 FLC using type-2 fuzzy sets can handle such uncertainties to produce improved performance. This paper proposes an interval type-2 FLC that achieves a superior delivered video quality compared with existing traditional controllers and a T1 FLC. To show the response in different network scenarios, tests demonstrate the response both in the presence of typical Internet cross-traffic as well as when other video streams occupy a bottleneck on an All-Internet protocol (IP) network. As All-IP networks are intended for multimedia traffic, it is important to develop a form of congestion control that can transfer to them from the mixed traffic environment of the Internet. It was found that the proposed type-2 FLC, although it is specifically designed for Internet conditions, can also successfully react to the network conditions of an All-IP network. When the control inputs were subject to noise, the type-2 FLC resulted in an order of magnitude performance improvement in comparison with the T1 FLC. The type-2 FLC also showed reduced packet loss when compared with the other controllers, again resulting in superior delivered video quality. When judged by established criteria, such as TCP-friendliness and delayed feedback, fuzzy logic congestion control offers a flexible solution to network bottlenecks. These findings offer the type-2 FLC as a way forward for congestion control of video streaming across packet-switched IP networks.

Post-processing of MPEG2 coded video for transmission at lower bit rates

It is expected that most of the video services will be based on the MPEG2 standard and many of them using recorded streams. When compressed video is recorded, the characteristics of the channel through which it will be transmitted are assumed to be known beforehand. Therefore a great lack of flexibility arises in transmission of these streams when channels of diverse characteristics are used. If the same video programme is to be simultaneously distributed to several users through channels with different capacities, the service provider needs to keep several copies of that programme, each one encoded according to the corresponding channel characteristics. We show that it is only required to keep one copy of the coded data at its highest possible quality. Transcoding the main stream to lower rates is achieved with minimum delay. Therefore the transcoder is also capable of fast response to network demands to prevent packet loss.

Prioritized transmission of data partitioned H.264 video with hierarchical QAM

In this letter, hierarchical quadrature amplitude modulation (HQAM) is used to provide unequal error protection (UEP) for layered (data partitioned) H.264 coded video. In a conventional HQAM system, the high-priority (HP) and low-priority (LP) capacities have a constant ratio, whereas in H.264 data partitioning, the corresponding parts do not necessarily have this constant ratio. This letter proposes a multilevel HQAM arrangement with adaptive constellation distances that provides a graceful degradation in the quality of the decoded video without requiring feedback from the receiver. The arrangement improves the quality relative to nonhierarchical transmission through poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) channels at the price of a modest quality reduction through good SNR channels.

Temporal Aspect of Perceived Quality in Mobile Video Broadcasting

In this paper we describe a subjective quality assessment experiment conducted to measure the impact of temporal artifacts on video quality and characterize the influence of content motion on perceived quality. We examined the human response to jerkiness and jitter by considering different levels of strength, duration and distribution of the temporal impairments. Using videos with high picture quality, we found that for intermediate and high frame rate values video quality was similar independently from the duration of the frame rate decimation. On the other hand, for very low frame rates, overall video quality decreased as the duration of the impairment increased. The results also show that a reduction of the temporal resolution over the entire video does not necessarily lead to a significant loss of quality. Finally, the results of this study do not confirm the traditional thinking of lower-motion content receiving a higher quality than high-motion content for a given frame rate decimation factor. Using several motion descriptors, we observed that for a given sub-optimum frame rate, perceived quality does not necessarily increase with decreasing motion magnitude. More particularly, we found that perceived quality of head-and-shoulders content is severely affected by frame rate decimation although it is characterized by very low motion. Our results suggest that motion magnitude is not the only factor affecting perception of temporal artifacts.

A multi-metric objective picture-quality measurement model for MPEG video

Different coding schemes introduce different artifacts to the decoded pictures, making it difficult to design an objective quality model capable of measuring all of them. A feasible approach is to design a picture-quality model for each kind of known distortion, and combine the results from the models according to the perceptual impact of each type of impairment. In this letter, a multi-metric model comprising of a perceptual model and a blockiness detector is proposed, designed for MPEG video. Very high correlation between the objective scores from the model and the subjective assessment results has been achieved.