Rate-distortion optimized mode selection method for multiple description video coding

Multiple description coding (MDC) is a potential solution for video transmission over error-prone networks because it shows promising enhancement of error resilient capability. The MDC systems encode a single video stream into two or more equally important independent sub-streams, called descriptions. Therefore, if some of the descriptors get lost, remaining descriptors can be used to recover the video. Much research has proposed different information distribution methods. Since each method has different characteristic, we proposed a general rate-distortion optimization framework for MDC systems in this paper. By sophisticated rate-distortion analysis and optimization, the framework enables MDC systems to adaptively encode video considering contents and channel variation. Experimental results showed that, by comparing with the work in Tsai and You (IEEE Trans Circ Syst Video Technol 22(2):309–320, 2012), the proposed technique improves the R-D performance significantly. The improvement can be up to 2.4 dB for the channels with 0 % ∼ 20 % packet loss rates, and it can be even more if the loss rate increases. The proposed framework is not restricted to specific MDC tools. Ones can easily integrate their proposed coding tools into the framework and achieve better performance as long as the macroblock's bitrate and distortion information can be measured.