The quality and spatial resolution of video can be improved by combining multiple pictures to form a single superresolution picture. We address the special problems associated with pictures of variable but somehow parameterized quality such as MPEG-decoded video. Our algorithm provides a unified approach to restoration, chrominance upsampling, deinterlacing, and resolution enhancement. A decoded MPEG-2 sequence for interlaced standard definition television (SDTV) in 4:2:0 is converted to: (1) improved quality interlaced SDTV in 4:2:0; (2) interlaced SDTV in 4:4:4; (3) progressive SDTV in 4:4:4; (4) interlaced high-definition TV (HDTV) in 4:2:0; (5) progressive HDTV in 4:2:0. These conversions also provide features such as freeze frame and zoom. The algorithm is mainly targeted at bit rates of 4-8 Mb/s. The algorithm is based on motion-compensated spatial upsampling from multiple images and decimation to the desired format. The processing involves an estimated quality of individual pixels based on MPEG image type and local quantization value. The mean-squared error (MSE) is reduced, compared to the directly decoded sequence, and annoying ringing artifacts, including mosquito noise, are effectively suppressed. The superresolution pictures obtained by the algorithm are of much higher visual quality and have lower MSE than superresolution pictures obtained by simple spatial interpolation.
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