Rate-distortion methods for image and video compression

In this article we provide an overview of rate-distortion (R-D) based optimization techniques and their practical application to image and video coding. We begin with a short discussion of classical rate-distortion theory and then we show how in many practical coding scenarios, such as in standards-compliant coding environments, resource allocation can be put in an R-D framework. We then introduce two popular techniques for resource allocation, namely, Lagrangian optimization and dynamic programming. After a discussion of these techniques as well as some of their extensions, we conclude with a quick review of literature in these areas citing a number of applications related to image and video compression and transmission