Abstract-The scalable extension (SHVC) of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) allows encoding in layers a video with multiple quality level such as resolution, bit-depth or Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Compared to the equivalent HEVC simulcast, the SHVC extension provides inter-layer prediction mechanisms enabling significant bit-rate savings. Moreover these inter-layer prediction mechanisms are less complex than those from former standards. Therefore, SHVC seems a promising solution for both broadcast and storage applications and is considered in the ATSC 3.0 as video coding solution. Indeed the spatial scalability is an application use-case considered in the ATSC 3.0.This paper proposes a scalable multi-layer architecture combining pipelined software HEVC encoders. The proposed architecture provides a good trade-off between parallelism over layer and latency. Moreover two configurations are proposed for Live or File encodings with real-time or best coding efficiency targets, respectively. Results present a 2× spatial scalability application of this architecture achieving in a low-delay configuration real-time video encodings of 1080p60 and 1600p30 sequences. Moreover the proposed SHVC solution also demonstrated real-time encodings of UHD contents at an ATSC 3.0 meeting in random-access configuration.

International audienceThe High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard enables meeting new video quality demands such as Ultra High Definition (UHD). Its scalable extension (SHVC) allows encoding simultaneously different representations of a video, organised in layers. Thanks to inter-layer predictions, SHVC provides bit-rate savings compared to the equivalent HEVC simulcast encoding. Therefore, SHVC seems a promising solution for both broadcast and storage applications. This paper proposes a multi-layer architecture of a pipelined software HEVC encoders with two main settings: a live setting for real-time encoding and a file setting for encoding with better fidelity. The proposed architecture provides a good trade-off between coding rate and coding efficiency achieving real-time performance of 1080p60 and 1600p30 sequences in 2× spatial scalability. Moreover, experimental results show more than a 26× and 300× speed-up for the file and live settings, respectively, with respect to the scalable reference software (SHM) in an intra-only configuration. © 2016 ECSI

International audienceIn this paper we present a real-time streaming demonstration with a multi-layer architecture of a pipelined software High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) encoders with inter-layer prediction enabling Scalable HEVC (SHVC) encodings. This SHVC encoder is implemented on an innovative platform performing real-time encodings that already demonstrated promising performance with HDR, HFR and SHVC implementation in previous demonstrations [1], [2]. The transmitted content consists of a spatial SHVC bitstream composed of a High Definition (HD) Base Layer (BL) and an Ultra HD (UHD) Enhancement Layer (EL). The encoder reads an UHD video sequences through Serial Digital Interface (SDI) ports and broadcasts the SHVC bitstream through an Internet Protocol (IP) channel. The bitstream is then decoded using a GPAC player with a real-time decoder. © 2016 ECSI

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Scalable high-efficiency video coding (SHVC) is the scalable extension of the high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard. SHVC enables spatial, quality, bit-depth, color gamut, and codec scalability. The architecture of the SHVC encoder is based on multiple instances of the HEVC encoder where each instance encodes one video layer. This architecture offers several advantages of being modular and close to the native HEVC coding block scheme. However, the close-loop SHVC architecture requires the complete decoding of the reference lower layer frames to decode a higher quality layer, which considerably increases the complexity of both encoder and decoder processes. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end 4K real-time SHVC solution, including both software encoder and decoder, for video broadcast applications. The SHVC codec relies on low-level optimizations for specific Intel x86 platform and parallel processing to speed up the encoding and decoding processes. The proposed encoder enables real-time processing of 4Kp30 video in 2× spatial scalabilities on the 4 × 10 cores Intel Xeon processor (E5-4627V3) running at 2.6 GHz. In addition, the SHVC decoder enables to decode, respectively, the lower quality layer in full HD (1920 × 1080p30) resolution, an advanced RISC machine (ARM) Neon mobile platform, and the enhancement layer in UHD (3840 × 2160p30), on a fitted laptop, with 4 cores Intel i7 processor running at 2.7 GHz. Finally, experimental results have shown that the proposed solution can reach a high rate-distortion performance close to the reference SHVC reference software model (SHM) with a speedup of 37 and 66 in intra and inter coding configurations.INDEX TERMS Scalable video coding, HEVC, SHVC extension, real time video codecs.