High quality seamless playback for video decoder clients

摘要

Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for efficiently coding video data during circumstances of network congestion, or instances when a decoder is unable to handle incoming video at the intended frame rate. A video coder may code frames of a video sequence according to motion estimation prediction in which each frame of the video sequence is constrained to be coded as one of an I-frame or a P-frame. The video coder may determine for each coded P-frame, a distance from the respective P-frame and a most-recently coded reference frame, and if the distance matches a predetermined threshold distance, the respective P-frame may be marked as a reference frame. The coded video data of the I-frame(s), the reference P-frames and the non-reference P-frames may be transmitted in a channel.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
coding frames of video in a sequence according to motion estimation prediction in which each frame of the video is constrained to be coded as one of an I-frame or a P-frame; for each coded P-frame, determining a distance from the respective P-frame to a most-recently coded reference frame in the coded sequence; based on the determination, when the distance matches a uniform threshold distance which varies based on an estimate of processing load at a decoder, marking the respective P-frame as a reference frame of the coded sequence; transmitting coded video data of the I-frame(s), the reference P-frames and non-reference P-frames in a channel; decoding coded video data of the I-frame(s) and the reference P-frames of the coded sequence; and storing decoded video data of the I-frame(s) and the reference P-frames of the coded sequence in a reference picture cache for use in subsequent encoding of other frames of the video sequence.