Error Resilient Video Coding Using Redundant Pictures

This paper presents several error resilient video coding methods based on redundant pictures. We combine redundant picture coding with reference picture selection and reference picture list reordering to prevent error propagation in motion compensated video coding. A hierarchical redundant picture allocation method is employed to make a tradeoff between error resilience and coding efficiency. For improved end-to-end rate-distortion performance in packet loss environment, three adaptive redundant picture allocation methods are further developed, utilizing characteristics of the input video content. Simulation results show that the adaptive redundant picture coding methods can achieve average luma peak-signal-to-noise improvements up to 3.5 dB compared to the loss-aware rate distortion optimized intra macroblock refresh algorithm implemented in the H.264/AVC Joint Model (JM). The proposed redundant picture coding methods are standard-compliant and do not introduce any additional end-to-end delay, therefore suit for low-delay applications such as video telephony and video conferencing. Due to the good error resilience performance, some of the proposed redundant picture coding methods have been adopted and integrated into the JM.