Error concealment using intra-mode information included in H.264/AVC-coded bitstream

Abstract

The H.264/AVC standard has adopted new coding tools such as intra-prediction, variable block size, motion estimation with quarter-pixel-accuracy, loop filter, and so on. The adoption of these toots enables an H.264/AVC-coded bitstream to have more information than was possible with previous standards. In this paper, we propose an effective spatial error concealment method with low complexity in H.264/AVC intra-frame. From information included in an H.264/AVC-coded bitstream, we use prediction modes of intra-blocks to recover a damaged block. This is because the prediction direction in each prediction mode is highly correlated to the edge direction. We first estimate the edge direction of a damaged block using the prediction modes of the intra-blocks adjacent to a damaged block and classify the area inside the damaged block into edge and flat areas. Our method then recovers pixel values in the edge area using edge-directed interpolation, and recovers pixel values in the flat area using weighted interpolation. Simulation results show that the proposed method yields better video quality than conventional approaches.