Low-delay encoding methods of moving pictures

Abstract

A method of low-delay-encoding digital video data for moving pictures, comprises the steps of determining a first row position of first intra-segments in an image frame and a second row position of second intra-segments therein, with respect to odd-numbered first intra-segments and even-numbered second intra--segments having a respectively predetermined size which are interposed between each other when the first and second intra-segments are disposed in the row direction on a screen and are placed in the same row axis, intra-frame-encoding video data contained in the first and second intra-segments among the video data in the image frame, inter-frame-encoding video data which exists outside of the first and second intra-segments, and re-determining row positions of the first and second intra-segments with respect lo the image frame to be used for encoding, by shifting the first row position of the first intra-segments from the upper end of the screen to the lower end thereof by a predetermined interval, and the second row position of the second intra-segments from the lower end of file screen to the upper end thereof by the predetermined interval, whenever the image frame is changed. Artifacts appearing on a screen can be efficiently removed even in case of a large amount of motion of the horizontal direction in moving pictures.