I would like to thank my parents for their constant support and encouragement. Without their sacrifices I would not have been here and this dissertation could not have been completed. My wife Pallavi has always been very supportive of my decision to pursue a doctoral degree and she is a constant source motivation for me! I would like to thank a number of people without whose support and guidance this work could not have matured to its current state. First of all I want to thank my advisor Prof. Al Bovik who has been a wonderful mentor. His direction and guidance have been invaluable to me and have helped shape me as a researcher. His guidance has helped me develop a scientific and principled approach to problem solving. I would like to than...