Techniques for embedding watermarks are described. In accordance with various embodiments, a server (e.g., a cloud in a core network) generates a profile for an encoded media content item and packages the profile as corresponding watermark metadata. The server then transmits the encoded media content item and the corresponding watermark metadata to at least one edge node in an edge cloud. A respective edge node in the edge cloud, upon receiving a request from a client device for the encoded media content item, where the request includes a client identifier associated with the client device, obtains a first portion of the encoded media content item and the corresponding watermark metadata. A watermark embedder of the edge node then embeds the client identifier in the embedded media content item according to the watermark metadata and transmits the watermark embedded media content item to the client device.

Disclosed herein are an image encoding/decoding method and apparatus for signaling hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) related parameters, and a method of transmitting a bitstream. An image decoding method may comprise obtaining first information specifying the number of one or more hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) parameter syntax structures in a video parameter set (VPS), obtaining the one or more HRD parameter syntax structures from the VPS based on the first information, obtaining second information on mapping between one or more multi-layer output layer sets (OLSs) and the one or more HRD parameter syntax structures from the VPS based on the first information, selecting a HRD parameter syntax structure that applies to a current OLS based on the second information, and processing the current OLS based on the selected HRD parameter syntax structure.

Disclosed herein are an image encoding/decoding method and apparatus for signaling hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) related parameters, and a method of transmitting a bitstream. An image decoding method may comprise obtaining first information specifying the number of one or more hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) parameter syntax structures in a video parameter set (VPS), obtaining the one or more HRD parameter syntax structures from the VPS based on the first information, obtaining second information on mapping between one or more multi-layer output layer sets (OLSs) and the one or more HRD parameter syntax structures from the VPS based on the first information, selecting a HRD parameter syntax structure that applies to a current OLS based on the second information, and processing the current OLS based on the selected HRD parameter syntax structure.

Methods and systems described herein generate content that quickly cycles between different-colored frames at a rapid rate that may be imperceptible to human viewers. The human eye tends to blend nearby frames together, so that a human viewer will see a full color spectrum even though only a single color is displayed at any given time. The video display may repeatedly cycle between individual color frames, thus providing video content that appears normal to a human viewer. However, a video recording device may capture only some of the color frames. Therefore, the video recorded by video recording devices may include undesirable color flicker or other color artifacts, which may deter unauthorized copying.

Methods and systems described herein generate content that quickly cycles between different-colored frames at a rapid rate that may be imperceptible to human viewers. The human eye tends to blend nearby frames together, so that a human viewer will see a full color spectrum even though only a single color is displayed at any given time. The video display may repeatedly cycle between individual color frames, thus providing video content that appears normal to a human viewer. However, a video recording device may capture only some of the color frames. Therefore, the video recorded by video recording devices may include undesirable color flicker or other color artifacts, which may deter unauthorized copying.

A system and method of decoding a sub-block of residual coefficients of a transform block from a video bitstream. The method comprises determining whether sign bit hiding is used for the sub-block, the determination based on a value of a transform skip flag determined for the sub-block and a value of a sign bit hiding flag associated with the sub-block; if sign bit hiding is not used, decoding a number of sign bits equal to a number of significant coefficients in the subblock; and decoding the sub-block by reconstructing the residual coefficients of the sub-block using the decoded sign bits.

A system and method of decoding a sub-block of residual coefficients of a transform block from a video bitstream. The method comprises determining whether sign bit hiding is used for the sub-block, the determination based on a value of a transform skip flag determined for the sub-block and a value of a sign bit hiding flag associated with the sub-block; if sign bit hiding is not used, decoding a number of sign bits equal to a number of significant coefficients in the subblock; and decoding the sub-block by reconstructing the residual coefficients of the sub-block using the decoded sign bits.

To preserve backward compatibility with a non-HDR device or service, an HDR picture may be represented using a modulation value and an SDR picture representative of the HDR picture. The modulation value and the SDR picture can then be encoded into the bitstream. At the receiving side, the modulation value and the SDR picture can be decoded. Based on the modulation value, the SDR picture can be mapped to a decoded HDR picture. For a non-HDR device or service, the modulation value information may be discarded and only the SDR picture is decoded. In particular, the modulation value may be implicitly signaled, using quad-tree representation information, intra coding information, inter partition mode information or motion vector residual information.

A 3D-HEVC inter-frame information hiding method based on visual perception includes steps of information embedding and information extraction. In the step of information embedding, the human visual perception characteristic is considered, stereo salient images are obtained by a stereo image salient model, and the stereo salient images are divided into salient blocks and non-salient blocks with an otsu threshold. The coding quantization parameters are modified according to different modulation rules for different regions. Then, based on the modified quantization parameters, the coding-tree-units are coded to complete the information embedding. In the step of information extraction, no original video is needed, no any side information needs to be transmitted, and the secret information can be blindly extracted. The present invention combines with the human visual perception characteristic, and selects P frames and B frames as embedded frames for effectively reducing the decrease of the stereo video subjective quality.

A 3D-HEVC inter-frame information hiding method based on visual perception includes steps of information embedding and information extraction. In the step of information embedding, the human visual perception characteristic is considered, stereo salient images are obtained by a stereo image salient model, and the stereo salient images are divided into salient blocks and non-salient blocks with an otsu threshold. The coding quantization parameters are modified according to different modulation rules for different regions. Then, based on the modified quantization parameters, the coding-tree-units are coded to complete the information embedding. In the step of information extraction, no original video is needed, no any side information needs to be transmitted, and the secret information can be blindly extracted. The present invention combines with the human visual perception characteristic, and selects P frames and B frames as embedded frames for effectively reducing the decrease of the stereo video subjective quality.