A pre-analysis algorithm for fast motion estimation in HEVC

The demands for high quality multimedia contents and the advent of the Ultra High Definition (UHD) resolution have motivated the development of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, which outperforms prior standards by up to 50% in terms of coding efficiency. This improvement, however, involves higher computational complexity in the encoder side, making it essential for realtime encoders to implement fast and efficient coding algorithms. In this regard, this paper proposes a pre-analysis algorithm designed to provide coding information to the motion estimation (ME) stage of the encoder. This algorithm, which takes into consideration the particularities of this new standard, makes use of this information to reduce the number of tested reference frames and the number of positions checked in the motion search. As a result, an experimental evaluation of the algorithm shows that it allows reducing the encoding time by 16.10% average with negligible losses in terms of coding efficiency.