Efficient mode selection for block-based motion compensated video coding
Thomas Wiegand, Michael L. Lightstone, T. George Campbell, Sanjit K. Mitra · Proceedings - International Conference on Image Processing · 2002
A method for efficiently selecting the operating modes within a block-based multi-mode video compression system is described. For a given image region, the optimum combination of modes is selected so as to minimize the overall distortion for a given bit-rate budget. Necessary conditions for optimizing the encoder operation are derived within a rate-constrained product code framework. When rate and distortion dependencies exist between adjacent blocks, the ensuing encoder complexity is surmounted using a dynamic programming strategy based on the Viterbi algorithm so as to achieve the optimum selection of macroblock modes. Results are provided for the emerging H.263 video coding standard.