Balanced multiple description video coding using optimal partitioning of the DCT coefficients

In this paper, we propose a balanced multiple description video coding scheme which is based on the partitioning of the DCT coefficients. Our scheme splits the single-layered stream generated by a standard coder into two correlated and balanced (equal rates and distortions) substreams. The optimization is in the redundancy-rate-distortion sense, using Lagrangian relaxation for optimum allocation of redundancy amongst the blocks in the frame. A greedy algorithm, to meet the equal distortions criterion, and an algorithm to optimally achieve equal bit rates for the two descriptions is proposed. Our simulation results substantiate our claim of achieving balanced descriptions at high PSNR values, for any specified redundancy or any target bit rate for the encoder. Our design complies to the existing standards, i.e. each description can be independently decoded by any standard decoder.