Improved adaptive video delivery system using a perceptual pre-processing filter

In this paper, we present an adaptive video delivery system that uses a perceptual pre-processing filter tuned to the viewing conditions of the receiver. The filter receives a number of parameters of the reproduction setup that includes viewing distance, display pixel density, ambient contrast, display peak luminance, etc. A model of visual contrast sensitivity is used in the filter design to remove spatial oscillations that are invisible under the specified viewing conditions. Removing such oscillations simplifies the video content leading to bitrate savings in the video encoding without causing any visible alterations of the content. Experiments demonstrate the bitrate savings our filter can yield compared to conventional encoding methods that are not tailored to specific viewing conditions. Subjective viewing tests confirm the bitrate savings come without reduction in visual quality.