Advanced zero-block mode decision algorithm for H.264/AVC video coding

This paper proposes an advanced zero-block inter mode decision algorithm for H. 264/AVC inter frame coding, to improve computation efficiency of the previous algorithms [1], [2]. Although the previous zero-block decision algorithm in [1] achieves significant computation improvement, computation performance is still limited for high bit-rate coding. To obtain better computation efficiency at high bit-rate, another work in [2] suggests another zero-block decision algorithm, using zero-blocks of both 8x8 and 4x4 DCT coefficients to describe video sequences in detail, including global and local stationary characteristics. The experimental results reveal significant computation improvement for high bit-rate coding, but computation performance at low-bit rate is slightly worse than the previous algorithm [1]. This study proposes an advanced decision algorithm which accounts for advantages of both algorithms to greatly improve computation. Improved computation reduction is very momentous for all bit-rates while still preserving high coding efficiency.