H.264/AVC Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is an emerging video coding standard developed by the Joint Video Team (JVT), which supports multiple scalability features. With scalabilities, SVC video data can be easily adapted to the characteristics of heterogeneous networks and various devices. Furthermore, SVC requires a high coding efficiency that is equally competitive or better than single-layer H.264/AVC. Motion prediction at the level of Fine Grain Scalability (FGS) enhancement layers was proposed to improve coding efficiency as well as inter-layer motion prediction. However, the removal of the FGS enhancement layer at the inter-layer motion prediction causes significant visual errors due to the encoder-decoder mismatches of motion vectors and MB modes. In this paper, we analyze visual errors to find the cause as well as the method for reducing such errors. Experimental results showed that the proposed method allowed SVC bitstreams decoding with reduced visual errors, even when the FGS enhancement layer used for the inter-layer motion prediction was removed.

Date Published: 28 January 2008
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 6822, Visual Communications and Image Processing 2008, 68220K (28 January 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.766051

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6822:
Visual Communications and Image Processing 2008
William A. Pearlman; John W. Woods; Ligang Lu, Editor(s)