Shot detection method for low bit-rate video coding

This paper presents a low-complexity shot detection method for real-time low bit-rate video coding. It is oriented on compression efficiency instead of indexing purposes or scene analysis. Based on the macroblock intra/inter decision information and two thresholds, one fixed and one adaptive, it provides robust scene change detection on camera motion, zoom, high motion scenes and low values of the frame rate, setting the minimum number of necessary but heavy refreshing points (intra frames) in the stream. Its excellent results lead Telefonica Spanish company to implement it in several low bit-rate video mobile transmission applications. This is the case of the application presented in this communication, called Miravideo, which transmits audio and video via GPRS and UNITS using the new shot detection method.