• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.596-610
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• 2007

In order to reduce the complexity of SVC encoding, we introduce a fast mode decision method in the enhancement layers of spatial scalability by selectively performing the inter-layer residual prediction of SVC. The Inter-layer residual prediction coding in Scalable Video Coding has a large advantage of enhancing the coding efficiency since it utilizes the correlation between two residuals from a lower spatial layer and its next higher spatial layer. However, this entails the dramatical increase in the complexity of SVC encoders. The proposed method is to analyze the characteristics of integer transform coefficients for the subtracted signal for two residuals from lower and upper spatial layers. Then it selectively performs the inter-layer residual prediction coding and rate-distortion optimizations in the upper spatial enhancement layer if the SAD values of residuals exceed adaptive threshold values. Therefore, by classifying the residuals according to the properties of integer-transform coefficients only with SAD of residuals between two layers, the SVC encoder can perform the inter-layer residual coding selectively, thus significantly reducing the total required encoding time. The proposed method results in reduction of the total encoding time with 51.5% in average while maintaining the RD performance with negligible amounts of quality degradation.