Content-aware parameter selection for HEVC deblocking filter

The deblocking filter in the upcoming High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard improves both subjective and objective quality of the coded video sequences. Since different video sequences have different characteristics, deblocking strength should be adjusted on a sequence and even on a picture or slice basis for perceptual optimization. In this paper, we do first blind search in all possible values of the two offset parameters of the deblocking filter and then find optimal offset values heuristically for four different video sequences. Subjective tests show that with the best offsets visual artifacts reduced significantly when compared to the worst offsets and blockiness measure is promising to find the best offset.