Method and apparatus for scalable signal processing

摘要

The invention relates to content signal processing and in particular to processing of a video content signal. An apparatus ( 100 ) for content signal processing comprises a scalable encoder ( 101 ) for encoding a content signal to generate scalable encoded data comprising data associated with a plurality of compression rates. A compression processor ( 105 ) determines compression factor indicators indicating data associated with the plurality of compression rates. Thus, the compression factor indicators indicate which data of the scalable encoded data corresponds to the different compression rates. Combined data comprising the scalable encoded data and the compression factor indicators are stored in a frame memory ( 105 ). An application having a given compression factor requirement may use the compression factor indicators to access the scalable encoded data of the frame memory ( 105 ) which is required for processing. A plurality of applications may access the same frame memory ( 105 ) thereby allowing for scalable encoded data which can be used with a plurality of applications having different compression factor requirements.