Information Hiding Based on Intra Prediction Modes for H.264/AVC

This paper presents a novel information hiding algorithm for H.264/AVC, taking advantage of the specific features of this advanced video compression standard. The algorithm hides 1 bit in each qualified intra 4x4 luma block by modifying intra 4x4 prediction modes (I4-modes) based on the mapping between I4-modes and hiding bits. Information hiding rate is controlled by a parameter, embedding strength, which is also embedded into bitstream. Hidden information can be retrieved by decoding the intra prediction modes from bitstream, requiring neither original media nor complete video decoding. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm almost has no impact on video quality and video stream features. A comparatively high data hiding rate is obtained with a little increase on bit rate.