Intra prediction by template matching

Intra prediction is an effective method for reducing the coded information of an image or an intra frame within a video sequence. The conventional method today is to create a sample predictor block by extrapolating the reconstructed pixels surrounding the target block to be coded. The sample predictor block is subtracted from the target block and the resulting residual coded using transformation, quantization and entropy coding. This is an effective method for sample predictor block creation in most sequences. However the extrapolation method is not able to represent sample prediction blocks with complex texture. Furthermore, pixels that are far from the surrounding pixels are usually badly predicted. In this paper, a new method for sample predictor creation by template matching in a region of reconstructed pixels is presented. Improvements in coding efficiency by more than 11 % in bitrate were achieved.