Adjusting hardware acceleration for video playback based on error detection

摘要

Adjustment of hardware acceleration level in a video decoder utilizing hardware acceleration is described. Errors are detected in a bitstream as it is decoded using different levels of error detection based on decoding characteristics. A statistical analysis is performed on the error values as they are detected. In one technique, if the bitstream is categorized as fitting a high error rate state in a bitstream model, then hardware acceleration is dropped. In another technique, error statistics based on run-lengths of good and bad bitstream units are kept, and compared to predetermined thresholds. If the thresholds are exceeded, the hardware acceleration level is dropped. The level is dropped in order to take advantage of superior error handing abilities of software-based decoding over hardware-accelerated decoding.

主权项

1. A method for directing video decoding on a computer comprising acceleration hardware for video decoding, the method comprising:
during decoding of a video bitstream, determining errors in the bitstream; performing a statistical analysis of the determined errors in the bitstream, the performing comprising determining error statistics for the bitstream; determining, based on the error statistics, that a level at which hardware acceleration is performed should be adjusted; and responsive to determining that a level at which hardware acceleration is performed should be adjusted, adjusting the level at which hardware acceleration is performed, wherein adjusting the level at which hardware acceleration is performed comprises:
switching one or more video decoding stages between performance in the acceleration hardware and performance in software, comprising:
switching a variable-length video decoding stage from being performed in the acceleration hardware to being performed in software; andwherein at least one other video decoding stage is performed in the acceleration hardware before and after the switching.