DCT-Domain Embedded Memory Compression for Hybrid Video Coders

Hybrid video compression schemes such as MPEG2 and H.263 use an image memory for motion-compensated coding. In VLSI implementations, this image is usually stored in external RAM because of its large size. To reduce the overall system costs, we propose to compress the image by a factor of 4 to 5 before storage, which then enables embedding of the image memory on the encoder IC itself. The proposed encoder architecture remains in the DCT-domain, so motion estimation and compensation are now performed from this domain. To control and guarantee the actual storage, scalable compression is used. A hardware implementation is feasible and worthwhile compared to traditional encoders with no noticeable loss in performance.