Simple and efficient deblocking algorithm for H.264/AVC decoder

Block-based coding in H.264/AVC creates discontinuities at block boundaries. The blocking artifact is regarded as the most visible artifact in block-based video coding. In H.264, a deblocking filter is used to reduce such a blocking artifact. However, it requires a significant amount of complexity and it occupies one-third of the computational complexity of the decoder. In this paper, we propose a simple and efficient deblocking algorithm. It consists of mode decision and filtering. For mode decision, we define three different modes: weak mode, strong mode, and special mode. For filtering, we design two new filters for strong mode and special mode. Experimental results show that the proposed deblocking algorithm provides comparable objective quality, better subjective video qualities, and lower computational complexity, compared to the deblocking filter in H.264.