VIDEO ENCODER AND ENCODING METHOD WITH BUFFER CONTROL

摘要

A technique is provided for enabling data, such as video, to be broadcast using a push dataflow scenario without causing a data rate buffer (32) for t he pushed data at a decoder (30) to overflow or underflow. At an encoder (20), data are encoded for communication to the decoder (30) to provide an output bitstream. The data rate buffer (32) of the decoder is simulated at the encoder (22). The simulation is used to control the output bitstream to preclude overflow or underflow of the decoder buffer (32). For example, a complementary encoder buffer (22), which operates in a manner opposite to th e decoder buffer (32), can be monitored and inverted to provide the simulation . Various different techniques are disclosed for controlling the amount of dat a produced at the encoder to maintain the data within the confines of the decoder buffer (32).