PROCESSING A MEDIA SIGNAL IN A MEDIA SYSTEM TO PREVENT OVERLOAD

摘要

This invention relates to processing of a media signal in a media system. The media system can be a PC, a Digital TV, a Settop-Box or a Display. The method includes the steps of: monitoring, by a system control unit, a progress and a resource usage (18) of the processing of the media signal; determining, by a structural load control or indicator unit, a first point in time (1) for a substantial load change (19) of a content; determining, by the system control unit, a second point (2) in time based on the first point; decreasing, by the system control unit, an assigned quality level (13) of at least one scalable algorithm at the second point in time; and adapting, by the system control unit, the assigned quality level of at least one scalable algorithm at or till a third point in time, wherein a realized quality level (17) will become stable within a period of adaptation time. Said substantial load change of content can be caused by a shot or a scene change. The scalable algorithm can be without error propagation. Said second point in time can come before, coincide with or come after the first point in time. The adaptation time can be in the range of fractions of a second. This enables minimization of a time of non-optimal data dependent system behavior, and of its effects on a visual output quality.