Statistical properties of coded interlaced and progressive image sequences

In this paper, we investigate the statistical properties of interlaced and progressive image sequences in order to determine what is the most efficient format from a coding point of view. Intra- and inter-coding modes are both considered. The main result is that, for both intra- and inter-images, the coding of progressive images outperforms the coding of interlaced ones for low bit rates and large motion vectors. Particular attention is paid to inter-coding with subpel accuracy, where the effects of nonideal interpolation filters and finite precision of the motion vector are taken into account.