ESTIMATING USER-PERCEIVED QUALITY OF AN ENCODED VIDEO STREAM

摘要

One or more embodiments herein dynamically and objectively estimate user-perceived quality of an encoded video stream in dependence on the underlying video content of that stream. Estimation processing according to these embodiments includes generating a chronological sequence of the absolute or relative sizes of encoded video frames in the stream. Processing further entails analyzing this sequence to identify a plurality of reference characteristics that are defined in a reference model. These reference characteristics are more specifically defined in the reference model as parameters that characterize or are otherwise associated with content-dependent variations in user-perceived quality. For example, the reference characteristics in some embodiments comprise reference patterns or reference statistical measures that have been determined based on analyzing frame size sequences generated for reference video streams with known qualities. Regardless, processing finally includes estimating the user-perceived quality of the stream based on the identified reference characteristics, according to the reference model.