Selection of video quality metrics and models to optimize bitrate savings in video encoding applications

Abstract

Videos may be characterized by objective metrics that quantify video quality. Embodiments are directed to target bitrate prediction methods in which one or more objective metrics may serve as inputs into a model that predicts a mean opinion score (MOS), a measure of perceptual quality, as a function of metric values. The model may be derived by generating training data through conducting subjective tests on a set of video encodings, obtaining MOS data from the subjective tests, and correlating the MOS data with metric measurements on the training data. The MOS predictions may be extended to predict the target (encoding) bitrate that achieves a desired MOS value. The target bitrate prediction methods may be applied to segments of a video. The methods may be made computationally faster by applying temporal subsampling. The methods may also be extended for adaptive bitrate (ABR) applications by applying scaling factors to predicted bitrates at one frame size to determine predicted bitrates at different frame sizes. A dynamic scaling algorithm may be used to determine predicted bitrates at different frame sizes.