Adaptive Algorithm To Reduce Computational Complexity In Video Coders

Variable-complexity algorithms provide a means of managing the computational complexity of a software video CODEC. The reduction in computational complexity provided by existing variable-complexity algorithms depends on the video scene characteristics and is difficult to predict. A novel approach to variable complexity encoding is proposed in this paper. A variable complexity DCT algorithm will be updated adaptively in order to maintain a near-constant computational complexity. This adaptive update algorithm will be capable of providing a significant, predictable reduction in computational complexity with only a small loss of video quality. The proposed approach may be particularly useful for software-only video encoding. Key words: Motion estimation, motion compensation, motion vector, DCT coefficients, computational complexity. 1