Bit allocation method for variable frame rated low bit coding scheme

Conventional rate-control algorithms for low bit-rate video coding have focused on bit allocation at the macroblock level under a constant frame-rate assumption. However, this assumption may degrade the quality of coded frames. The encoder, which uses bits over the allocated one, causes frame skips because the available bit rate is small. We present a rate control method that reduces motion jerkiness, flickering effect and frame skip at low bit-rate. The proposed algorithm requires hardly any additional computation, thus it is possible to process within the maximum time delay. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.