Adaptive algorithms for variable-complexity video coding

Variable-complexity algorithms provide a means of managing the computational complexity of a software video CODEC. The reduction in computational complexity provided by existing variable-complexity algorithms depends on the video scene characteristics and is difficult to predict. A new approach to variable-complexity encoding is proposed. A variable-complexity DCT algorithm is adaptively updated in order to maintain a near-constant computational complexity. The adaptive update algorithm is shown to be capable of providing a significant, predictable, reduction in computational complexity with only a small loss of video quality. The proposed approach may be particularly useful for software-only video encoding, in applications where processing resources are limited.