Perceptual Video Coding Scheme Using Just Noticeable Distortion Model Based on Entropy Filter

Because perceptual video coding (PVC) can reduce bitrates with negligible visual quality loss in video compression, a PVC scheme based on just noticeable distortion (JND) model is proposed for ultra-high definition video. Firstly, the proposed JND model is designed, considering the spatial JND characteristics such as contrast sensitivity, luminance adaptation and saliency weight factor. Secondly, in order to perform precise JND suppression, the Gauss differential entropy (GDE) filter is designed to divide the image into smooth and complex texture region. Thirdly, through incorporating the proposed JND model into the encoding process, the transform coefficients are suppressed in harmonization with the transform/quantization process of high efficiency video coding (HEVC). In order to achieve the JND suppression effectively, a distortion compensation factor and distortion compensation control factor are incorporated to control the extent of distortion in the rate distortion optimization process. The experimental results show that the proposed PVC scheme can achieve a remarkable bitrate reduction of 32.98% for low delay (LD) configuration and 28.61% for random access (RA) configuration with a negligible subjective quality loss. Meanwhile, the proposed method only causes about average 12.94% and 22.45% encoding time increase under LD and RA configuration compared with an HEVC reference software, respectively.