Hybrid Zero Block Detection for High Efficiency Video Coding
In this paper we propose an efficient hybrid zero block early detection method for high efficiency video coding (HEVC). Our method detects both genuine zero blocks (GZBs) and pseudo zero blocks (PZBs). For GZB detection, we use a two sum of absolute difference bounds and a one sum of absolute transformed difference threshold to decrease the GZB detection complexity. A fast rate-distortion estimation algorithm for HEVC is proposed to improve the PZB detection rate. Experimental results on the HM platform show that the proposed method saves about 50% of the rate-distortion optimization (RTO) time, with negligible Bjøntegaard delta bit rate loss. Our method is faster than other state-of-the-art ZB detection methods for HEVC by 10%-30%.