Overview of High-Efficiency Video Coding

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High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) is a sophisticated video compression standard that is designed to offer superior compression efficiency for the next generation of ultra-high-definition (UHD) video. It is the successor to the well-known H.264/AVC video standard, and it offers up to twice the data compression ratio of H.264/AVC, while maintaining the same visual quality. HEVC is capable of compressing UHD video streams while still providing an excellent viewing experience. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of HEVC.

Concept and History of HEVC

High-efficiency video coding was developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) as a means to improve upon the H.264/AVC video standard. The work on HEVC began in 2003, and the standard was finalized in 2013, with a few minor revisions since then. HEVC was designed with a wide array of applications in mind, ranging from broadcast television, over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, and narrow-casting to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications. Its flexibility and robustness have made it the preferred video compression standard for UHD video streaming since its inception. HEVC is the successor to the H.264/AVC video standard. It is capable of compressing UHD video streams while still providing an excellent viewing experience. Its flexibility and robustness have made it the preferred video compression standard for UHD video streaming since its inception.

Coding efficiency of HEVC

One of the primary goals of HEVC was to improve the video compression efficiency of video content. This is a critical metric that is used to measure the amount of data that is required to store or transmit a video file. The higher the compression efficiency of the video standard, the lower the amount of data required to store or transmit the video file, and vice versa. This means that a video file with a high compression efficiency has a smaller file size, which is a critical factor in online video streaming, whether it is for broadcasting, OTT, or VR/AR content.

Features and Profiles of HEVC

HEVC is a highly advanced video standard that is capable of compressing both standard and high-definition video streams. It features a combination of various tools and techniques that help to improve the video coding process. These include the following: 

Slice-based. HEVC uses a slice-based approach to video coding, in which a video frame is divided into square or rectangular slices, each containing a group of pixels. This approach is similar to a vertical scan of the video frame, but with a greater granularity. This allows code writers to identify the individual pixels within each slice, which improves the local similarity between pixels and groups of pixels. This significantly improves the compression efficiency. 

Frame-based. The frame-based approach in HEVC is similar to that of H.264/AVC. This means that a video frame is divided into smaller coding units known as “blocks” that are used for the coding. 

Parallelism. HEVC uses a parallelism technique that allows multiple coding units to be processed at the same time. This approach uses the same arithmetic and logic in each processing unit to perform the coding operation. This parallelism approach allows coding units to be processed simultaneously, which improves the coding speed. 

Residual coding. The residual coding approach in HEVC is similar to that of H.264/AVC. Both approaches use the same mathematical operations to compute the difference between the original audio and visual signals. These signals are then coded and written to the file to be transmitted or saved. 

Tiers and Containers of HEVC

HEVC supports the use of various types of containers and multiple tiers of UHD video. It supports the different varieties of MPEG-4 containers. Further, the various tiers of UHD video that are supported by HEVC include the following: 

  • Main tier
  • High tier
  • Main 10 Tier
  • High 10 Tier

Conclusion

With that, we come to the end of our overview of HEVC! We hope with this information, you are in a better place to make decisions regarding the HEVC and how it is relevant for your use case!