Video encoder with parallel encoding based on cached reference frame

摘要

An apparatus for encoding a video stream comprises: a cache for reference frame video data derived from an individual video stream frame and retrieved from a reference frame store in external memory; a first unit to store a first block of unencoded video data from a first source frame of a video stream; a unit to store a second block of unencoded video data from a second video stream source frame; a first video encoder to encode the first block of unencoded video data with reference to the reference frame video data; and a second video encoder to encode the second unencoded video data block with reference to the reference frame video data, wherein the first and second video encoders perform the first and second encoding operations in parallel with one another. An equivalent method is claimed, as in Figure 5. A further encoder may be provided, as well as a further reference frame. Mono-directional or bi-directional prediction coding may be performed all encoders, or respectively by different encoders.