H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC) Backward-Compatible Bit-Depth Scalable Coding

This paper presents a bit-depth scalable coding solution that is compatible with the scalable extension of H.264/advanced video coding (AVC), also referred to as scalable video coding (SVC). The proposed solution is capable of providing an 8-bit AVC main profile or high-profile base layer-coded bitstream multiplexed with a higher bit-depth-enhancement layer coded bitstream generated through macroblock level inter-layer bit-depth prediction. New decoding processes for inter-layer prediction are introduced to enable bit-depth scalability. Compatibility with other types of scalability in the SVC standard-temporal, spatial, and SNR scalability-is ensured. It also supports the single-loop decoding required in the SVC specification. Furthermore, it supports adaptive inter-layer prediction to determine whether or not the inter-layer bit-depth prediction shall be invoked. This solution is implemented on the basis of the SVC reference software Joint Scalable Video Model version 8.12. Experimental results are presented on 8-bit to 10-bit bit-depth scalability and also combined bit-depth and spatial scalability.