A novel content-based adaptive scalability mode selection for scalable video coding

Scalable video coding offers a mechanism to deal with inter-operability among various heterogeneous devices, adaptability of video quality over varying bandwidths and backward compatibility with various pre-existing devices. Scalability is broadly classified along three major attributes as of spatial, temporal and quality, thereby enabling multiple features along these video attributes. The optimal usage of such scalability is achieved if we can couple the selection of enhancement layers with the identity of the video or various contents present in the video. This field of content-based scalability mode selection has not been exhaustively explored in the literature. In this paper, we present a simple but effective approach for intelligent selection of scalability mode. A 3-D DFT based approach is used for this purpose. Our work has been restricted to the availability of three options-spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal. The results show effectiveness of the method proposed for mode selection among these chosen options.