Methods and systems for an efficient inter-prediction structure and signaling for low-delay video streaming

Abstract

Techniques for an efficient inter-prediction structure and signaling for low-delay streaming of live video are described. According to some examples, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a live video at a content delivery service, determining a subset of candidate reference frames from a plurality of frames received of the live video, generating an identification code, for the subset of candidate reference frames, having a multiple-bit format that includes a first bit value to indicate a corresponding candidate reference frame is a reference frame for an input frame from the live video and a second bit value to indicate the corresponding candidate reference frame is not the reference frame for the input frame from the live video, and, when a bit of the identification code for a first candidate reference frame is set to the first bit value to indicate the first candidate reference frame is one of a forward reference frame and a backward reference frame for the input frame from the live video, an immediately following bit of the identification code being set to the first bit value indicates the first candidate reference frame is also another of the one of the forward reference frame and the backward reference frame for the input frame from the live video, performing a real time encode of the input frame of the live video based at least in part on the identification code to generate an encoded frame by the content delivery service, and transmitting the encoded frame from the content delivery service to a viewer device.