A Statistical Analysis of MPEG-2 Picture Quality for Television Broadcasting

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Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE J
Volume: 105, No. 11, pp. 702–711
Abstract: The relationship between bit rate and picture quality is a major issue of interest for digital broadcasting services. To evaluate coding performance of the MPEG-2 video standard, subjective assessment tests were conducted for both Main Profile and Simple Profile, as well as NTSC. Since picture quality in digital coding depends largely on such picture characteristics as spatial detail and motion, estimation of the picture quality of TV program material requires statistical analysis. This paper defines “criticality,” a quantitative measure of difficulty for digital coding, to analyze the picture quality of TV programs statistically. Equipment has been developed to measure criticality and to study a large number of TV program materials over a period of one week. Based on the statistical evaluation of picture degradation in real TV programs, the authors have concluded that approximately 9 Mbits/sec is an appropriate bit rate for digital broadcasting to maintain picture quality comparable to that of studio NTSC and to provide excellent quality in more than 99.9% of the broadcasting hours.
Publication Date: 1996-11-01
DOI: 10.5594/J06443
ISSN: Print: 0036-1682
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/J06443
Author(s): E. NakasuNHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo 157, Japan.
bio
Eisuke Nakasu joined the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories in 1985, where he is engaged in the research of digital image processing, video coding, and quality assessment techniques for broadcasting applications. Nakasu has participated in the MPEG-2 standardization activities since 1991. He is presently in charge of research activities in video coding of HDTV and digital transmission systems for broadcasting. He received B.E. and M.E. degrees in electronic engineering from Keio University, and he is a member of IEICE, ITE, and IPS of Japan.
K. AokiNHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo 157, Japan.
bio
Katunori Aoki joined Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) in 1989 and has worked for the Science and Technical Research Laboratories since 1991. He has been in charge of digital video coding and digital transmission systems for broadcasting. His research interests include video coding, interactive media, and computer networks. Aoki received B.E and M. degrees in electrical engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo, respectively. He is a member of ITE of Japan.
R. YajimaNHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo 157, Japan.
bio
Ryoichi Yajima is a research engineer at NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories. He joined NHK in 1983, where he is engaged in research on digital video processing, colorimetry, and video coding. Yajima holds B.E. and M.E. degrees in electronic engineering from the University of Tokyo. He is a member of IEICE and ITE of Japan.
Y. KanatsuguNHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo 157, Japan.
bio
Yasuaki Kanatsugu joined NHK in 1980 and has worked for NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories since 1983. He has been engaged in research on various fields of HDTV, such as standard conversion, colorimetry, and digital interface for studio. Kanatsugu is now conducting research on human vision at ATR Human Information Processing Research Laboratories. He holds B.E. and M.E. degrees from Kansai University, and he is a member of IEICE and ITE of Japan.
K. KubotaNHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo 157, Japan.
bio
Keiichi Kubota joined Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) in 1976. From 1979 to 1980 he worked at CBS Technology Center in Stamford, Conn., as a visiting engineer. Since August 1980 he has been with the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories, working in the areas of satellite and terrestrial transmission systems of HDTV, signal processing for HDTV, and subjective assessment of HDTV picture quality. From November 1989 through August 1993, he was senior scientist at NHK's New York office, where he participated in various HDTV standardization activities in SMPTE, ATSC, and on the FCC Advisory Committee on ATV Service. In August 1993 he was transferred back to NHK Laboratories as senior research scientist, and later as deputy director of the Advanced Television Systems Research Division. Currently he is deputy director. Planning Division, at NHK Engineering Headquarters in Tokyo. Kubota holds B. S. and Ph. D. degrees from the University of Tokyo. He has been an SMPTE Fellow since 1993.
Copyright: © 1996 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

1. ISO/IEC 13818-2/ITU-T Rec. H.262: “Information Technology — Generic Coding of Moving Pictures and Associated Audio: Video,” 1995 . EXTERNAL
10. Nakasu E. Aoki K. Nishida Y. Kubota K. , “A Statistical Analysis of Picture Quality for Digital Broadcasting,” ibid ., BCS ′95–26 (in Japanese). EXTERNAL
2. Rec. ITU-R BT.500-6, “Methodology for the Subjective Assessment of the Quality of Television Pictures,” 1994 . EXTERNAL
3. Lodge N. K. Wood D. , “Subjective Optimising Low Bit-Rate Television,” IBC 94 , pp. 333 – 339 , Sept. 1994 . EXTERNAL
4. Aoki K. Mizuno O. Kanda K. Nakasu E. Kubota K. , “A Study of Performance for MPEG-2 MP@ML and SP@MI. — Correlation between Bit-rate and Picture Quality,” ITE Tech. Report 19 , No. 26, BCS ′95–25, May 1995 (in Japanese). EXTERNAL
5. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 N0763, “Results of MP@ML Video Quality Verification Tests,” July 1994 . EXTERNAL
6. Rec. ITU-R BT.1128, “Subjective Assessment of Conventional Television Systems,” 1994 . EXTERNAL
7. Rec. ITU-R BT.710-2, “Subjective Assessment Methods for Image Quality in High-Definition Television,” 1994 . EXTERNAL
8. Rec. ITU-R BT.1122, “User Requirements for Emission and Secondary Distribution Systems for SDTV, HDTV and Hierarchical Coding Schemes,” 1994 . EXTERNAL
9. Kanatsugu Y. Yajima R. Kubota K. , “A Measurement of the Criticality for Television Programs,” ITE Tech. Report 19 , No. 26, BCS ′95–24, May 1995 (in Japanese). EXTERNAL

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E. Nakasu, K. Aoki, R. Yajima, Y. Kanatsugu, and K. Kubota; A Statistical Analysis of MPEG-2 Picture Quality for Television Broadcasting, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 105, Issue: 11, November 1996); SMPTE, 1996. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J06443

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E. Nakasu, K. Aoki, R. Yajima, Y. Kanatsugu, and K. Kubota; A Statistical Analysis of MPEG-2 Picture Quality for Television Broadcasting, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 105, Issue: 11, November 1996); SMPTE, 1996. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J06443

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E. Nakasu, K. Aoki, R. Yajima, Y. Kanatsugu, and K. Kubota; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j06443">A Statistical Analysis of MPEG-2 Picture Quality for Television Broadcasting</cite>, SMPTE Journal ( Volume: 105, Issue: 11, November 1996); SMPTE, 1996
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