A method including: populating an encoding ladder with a subset of bitrate-resolution pairs, from a set of bitrate-resolution pairs, based on a distribution of audience bandwidths; receiving a first request for a first playback segment, at a first bitrate-resolution pair in a encoding ladder, in the video from a first device; in response to determining an absence of video segments, at the first bitrate-resolution pair and corresponding to the segment, in a first rendition cache: identifying a first set of mezzanine segments, in the video, corresponding to the first playback segment; assigning the first set of mezzanine segments to a set of workers for transcoding into a first set of video segments according to the first bitrate-resolution pair; storing the first set of video segments in the first rendition cache; and based on the first request, releasing the first set of video segments to the first device.

Provided is a method of coding blocks of video data representing an image using an encoder, the method including identifying, by the encoder, a first region of the image and a second region of the image, a sum of a first number of pixels in the first region and a second number of pixels in the second region being equal to a total number of pixels of the image, and allocating, by the encoder, a first number of bits including base bits for encoding the first region, and a second number of bits including base bits and enhancement bits for encoding the second region, a sum of the first number of bits and the second number of bits being equal to a total number of bits for encoding all of the pixels, wherein the second region is encoded with a greater number of bits per pixel than the first region.

Provided is a method of coding blocks of video data representing an image using an encoder, the method including identifying, by the encoder, a first region of the image and a second region of the image, a sum of a first number of pixels in the first region and a second number of pixels in the second region being equal to a total number of pixels of the image, and allocating, by the encoder, a first number of bits including base bits for encoding the first region, and a second number of bits including base bits and enhancement bits for encoding the second region, a sum of the first number of bits and the second number of bits being equal to a total number of bits for encoding all of the pixels, wherein the second region is encoded with a greater number of bits per pixel than the first region.

An encoding device for utility-driven video compression, includes circuitry configured to accept an input video having a first data volume, identify at least a feature of interest in the input video, generate an output video, wherein the output video contains a second data volume that is less than the first data volume and the output video preserves the at least a feature of interest, and encode a bitstream using the output video.

In various embodiments, a shot collation application causes multiple encoding instances to encode a source video sequence that includes at least two shot sequences. The shot collation application assigns a first shot sequence to a first chunk. Subsequently, the shot collation application determines that a second shot sequence does not meet a collation criterion with respect to the first chunk. Consequently, the shot collation application assigns the second shot sequence or a third shot sequence derived from the second shot sequence to a second chunk. The shot collation application causes a first encoding instance to independently encode each shot sequence assigned to the first chunk. Similarly, the shot collation application causes a second encoding instance to independently encode each shot sequence assigned to the second chunk. Finally, a chunk assembler combines the first encoded chunk and the second encoded chunk to generate an encoded video sequence.

In various embodiments, a shot collation application causes multiple encoding instances to encode a source video sequence that includes at least two shot sequences. The shot collation application assigns a first shot sequence to a first chunk. Subsequently, the shot collation application determines that a second shot sequence does not meet a collation criterion with respect to the first chunk. Consequently, the shot collation application assigns the second shot sequence or a third shot sequence derived from the second shot sequence to a second chunk. The shot collation application causes a first encoding instance to independently encode each shot sequence assigned to the first chunk. Similarly, the shot collation application causes a second encoding instance to independently encode each shot sequence assigned to the second chunk. Finally, a chunk assembler combines the first encoded chunk and the second encoded chunk to generate an encoded video sequence.

Methods and apparatus are described for delivering streams of media content in ways that smooth out the peaks that might otherwise occur due to the bit rate variations that result from encoding of the media content. This is accomplished by controlling the timing of the transmission of packets of the encoded media content.

An example apparatus for adaptively encoding video frames includes a network analyzer to predict an instant bitrate based on channel throughput feedback received from a network. The apparatus also includes a content analyzer to generate ladder info based on a received frame. The apparatus further includes an adaptive decision executer to determine a frame rate, a video resolution, and a target frame size based on the predicted instant bitrate and the ladder outputs. The apparatus further includes an encoder to encode the frame based on the frame rate, the video resolution, and the target frame size.

An image coding method includes: writing, into a sequence parameter set, buffer description defining information for defining a plurality of buffer descriptions; writing, into the sequence parameter set, reference list description defining information for defining a plurality of reference list descriptions corresponding to the buffer descriptions; and writing, into a first header of each processing unit which is included in a coded bitstream, buffer description selecting information for specifying a selected buffer description.

An image coding method includes: writing, into a sequence parameter set, buffer description defining information for defining a plurality of buffer descriptions; writing, into the sequence parameter set, reference list description defining information for defining a plurality of reference list descriptions corresponding to the buffer descriptions; and writing, into a first header of each processing unit which is included in a coded bitstream, buffer description selecting information for specifying a selected buffer description.