New motion estimation algorithm for DV to MPEG1 compression domain conversion

Motion estimation is one of the most time-consuming processes in an MPEG1 video encoder. In this paper, a novel hierarchical motion estimation algorithm for DV to MPEG1 conversion is presented. The algorithm performs a novel sparse search, and the block matching utilizes integral projection information from the compression domain. The algorithm has a much smaller computation complexity than those motion estimation algorithms currently available in the industry while maintaining comparable PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio).