An accurate bit-rate control algorithm for video transcoding

Abstract

In many video based applications, it is essential to precisely control the bit rate of video streams for transmission over different networks and channel bandwidth. One critical element in a bit rate control algorithm is the bit production model that predicts the number of produced bits when a certain quantization parameter is used. In this paper, we present a novel bit allocation and rate control algorithm for compressed domain video transcoding. The specific transcoding issue mentioned is referred to as bit rate adaptation or rate shaping. We first review the architectures of different bit rate adaptation transcoders and the generic rate control problem. Then, we propose and formulate an approximate linear bit allocation model, which is based on experimental results. Based on this model, we propose an adaptive bit estimation and allocation scheme for video transcoding. Implementation results show that the proposed algorithm can provide accurate bit allocation, stable buffer occupancy and improved video quality as compared to existing approaches. This rate control scheme can be used to provide flexible video bit rate adaptation and stable transmission of video streams over heterogeneous networks.