Abstract:
Multi-directional image data often contains distortions of image content that cause problems when processed by video coders that are designed to process traditional, "flat" image content. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for coding multi-directional image data using such coders. For each pixel block in a frame to be coded, an encoder may transform reference picture data within a search window about a location of the input pixel block based on displacement respectively between the location of the input pixel block and portions of the reference picture within the search window. The encoder may perform a prediction search among the transformed reference picture data to identify a match between the input pixel block and a portion of the transformed reference picture and, when a match is identified, the encoder may code the input pixel block differentially with respect to the matching portion of the transformed reference picture. The transform may counter-act distortions imposed on image content of the reference picture data by the multi-directional format, which aligns the content with image content of the input picture. The techniques apply both for intra-coding and inter-coding.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for contextual video content adaptation are disclosed. Video content is adapted based on any number of criteria such as a target device type, viewing conditions, network conditions or various use cases, for example. A target adaptation of content may be defined for a specified video source. For example, based on receiving a request from a portable device for a live sports feed, a shortened and reduced resolution version of the live sport feed video may be defined for the portable device. The source content may be accessed and adapted (e.g., adapted temporally, spatially, etc.) and an adapted version of content generated. For example, the source content may be cropped to a particular spatial region of interest and/or reduced in length to a particular scene. The generated adaptation may be transmitted to a device in response to the request, or stored to a storage device.
Abstract:
Techniques are disclosed for coding video data predictively based on predictions made from spherical-domain projections of input pictures to be coded and reference pictures that are prediction candidates. Spherical projection of an input picture and the candidate reference pictures may be generated. Thereafter, a search may be conducted for a match between the spherical-domain representation of a pixel block to be coded and a spherical-domain representation of the reference picture. On a match, an offset may be determined between the spherical-domain representation of the pixel block to a matching portion of the of the reference picture in the spherical-domain representation. The spherical-domain offset may be transformed to a motion vector in a source-domain representation of the input picture, and the pixel block may be coded predictively with reference to a source-domain representation of the matching portion of the reference picture.
Abstract:
Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for reducing latency and improving image quality of a viewport extracted from multi-directional video communications. First streams of coded video data are received from a source. The first streams include coded data for each of a plurality of tiles representing a multi-directional video, where each tile corresponding to a predetermined spatial region of the multi-directional video, and at least one tile of the plurality of tiles in the first streams contains a current viewport location at a receiver. The techniques include decoding the first streams and displaying the tile containing the current viewport location. When the viewport location at the receiver changes to include a new tile of the plurality of tiles, retrieving and decoding first streams for the new tile, displaying the decoded content for the changed viewport location, and transmitting the changed viewport location to the source.
Abstract:
Techniques are disclosed for coding and decoding video captured as cube map images. According to these techniques, padded reference images are generated for use during predicting input data, A reference image is stored in a cube map format, A padded reference image is generated from the reference image in which image data of a first view contained in reference image is replicated and placed adjacent to a second view contained in the cube map image. When coding a pixel block of an input image, a prediction search may be performed between the input pixel block and content of the padded reference image. When the prediction search identifies a match, the pixel block may be coded with respect to matching data from the padded reference image. Presence of replicated data in the padded reference image is expected to increase the likelihood that adequate prediction matches will be identified for input pixel block data, which will increase overall efficiency of the video coding.
Abstract:
Techniques are disclosed for selecting deblocking filter parameters in a video decoding system. According to these techniques, a boundary strength parameter may be determined based, at least in part, on a bit depth of decoded video data. Activity of a pair of decoded pixel blocks may be classified based, at least in part, on the determined boundary strength parameter, and when a level of activity indicates that deblocking filtering is to be applied to the pair of pixel blocks, pixel block content at a boundary between the pair of pixel blocks may be filtered using filtering parameters derived at least in part based on the bit depth of the decoded video data. The filtering parameters may decrease strength with increasing bit depth of the decoded video data, which improves quality of the decoded video data.
Abstract:
Methods and systems provide efficient sample adaptive offset (SAO) signaling by reducing a number of bits consumed for signaling SAO compared with conventional methods. In an embodiment, a single flag is used if a coding unit to a first scanning direction with respect to a given coding unit is off. In an embodiment, further bits may be saved if some neighboring coding units are not present, i.e. the given coding unit is an edge. For example, a flag may be skipped, e.g., not signaled, if the given coding unit does not have a neighbor. In an embodiment, a syntax element, one or more flags may signal whether SAO filtering is performed in a coding unit. Based on the syntax element, a merge flag may be skipped to save bits. In an embodiment, SAO syntax may be signaled at a slice level.
Abstract:
In communication applications, aggregate source image data at a transmitter exceeds the data that is needed to display a rendering of a viewport at a receiver. Improved streaming techniques that include estimating a location of a viewport at a future time. According to such techniques, the viewport may represent a portion of an image from a multi-directional video to be displayed at the future time, and tile(s) of the image may be identified in which the viewport is estimated to be located. In these techniques, the image data of tile(s) in which the viewport is estimated to be located may be requested at a first service tier, and the other tile in which the viewport is not estimated to be located may be requested at a second service tier, lower than the first service tier.