October 2009 | Technical Memorandum TM-10-463
A Full Reference (FR) Method Using Causality Processing for Estimating Variable Video Delays
Cite This Publication
Stephen Wolf, “A Full Reference (FR) Method Using Causality Processing for Estimating Variable Video Delays,” Technical Memorandum TM-10-463, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, October 2009.
Stephen Wolf
Abstract:
Digital video transmission systems consisting of a video encoder, a digital transmission method (e.g., Internet Protocol – IP), and a video decoder can produce pauses in the video presentation, after which the video may continue with or without skipping video frames. This time varying delay of the output (or processed) video frames can present a challenge for some video quality measurement systems. The reason is that time alignment errors between the output video sequence and the input (or reference) video sequence may produce measurement errors for full reference measurements like Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) that greatly exceed the perceptual impact of the time varying video delays. This document presents a Full Reference (FR) method for estimating
variable video delays. The algorithm can optionally execute a sophisticated causality processing algorithm to improve the robustness of the delay estimates. The delay estimates produced by this algorithm can be utilized by a FR quality measurement system to remove variable video delay as a calibration step before computing the quality measurement.
Keywords: video quality; calibration; delay; causality; dropped frames; full reference (FR); pausing; skipping
For technical information concerning this report, contact:
Margaret H. Pinson
Institute for Telecommunication Sciences
(303) 497-3579
mpinson@ntia.doc.gov
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