IMAGE CODER AND IMAGE QUALITY PREDICTION METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To evaluate a coding condition and to make coding efficient by predicting the image quality after coding according to a given coding condition at an earlier point of time. SOLUTION: A bit arrangement section 25 of a video encoder controller 24 acquires coding difficulty for each picture obtained by preliminary coding and decides an assignment bit amount for each picture in the case of the formal coding based on the coding difficulty and a coding condition given from a supervisor 18. The bit arrangement section 25 estimates a quantization characteristic at formal coding based on the coding difficulty and the assigned bit amount and predicts image quality after the coding according to the given coding condition.