Video Compression Techniques for Next Generation Communication Infrastructures

9am - 10:30am - Introduction to image and video compression

Anil Fernando

An introduction to the whole course and its structure. This lecture will cover basic concepts of image and video compression, evolution of video coding standards and applications, and overview of relevant text books and reference materials in the field.

In addition, implications of video coding in video communication, video quality, error resilient and concealment aspects of video transmission will be discussed.

11am - 12:20pm - HEVC video coding tools

Thanuja Mallikarachchi

This lecture will cover the HEVC encoding architecture, comparison of H.264/AVC and HEVC coding tools, intra- and inter-prediction tools, transform coding, quantization, entropy coding and in-loop filtering algorithms with respect to HEVC will be discussed. Moreover, high level syntax elements, reference picture architecture will be introduced followed up by the challenges faced in HEVC based video coding.

2pm - 5pm - Introduction to video coding tools: (Lab session)

Gosala Kulupana

Following the introduction to video coding in HEVC, this lab session will cover the state-of-the-art video coding and analysis tools together with the evaluation metrics. In this context, research oriented HEVC encoding and decoding tools (HM Test Models), openHEVC decoding tools, and commercially used ffmpeg tools will be introduced and their operational aspects will be demonstrated using experimental tasks. Media distribution phases including encoding, packetization, multiplexing and streaming examples will be discussed using real-world applications. In addition, stream analyser tools (Gitl HEVC Analyzer), will be used to discuss the bit stream syntax elements of both H.264/AVC and HEVC standards.

9am - 10:30am - Video communication

Anil Fernando

This lecture introduces the concepts of video communication covering packet based video transmission, error resilience, error concealment, robustness of video encoders and content adaptation in video transmission.

11am - 12:30pm - Challenges in video content delivery over 5G networks

Muhammad Ali Imran

This lecture covers an overview of 5G communication infrastructure, practical issues in achieving ultra-low latency and reliable connectivity to realize high definition real-time mobile video transmission. In addition, 5G features that potentially support 4K video streaming over wireless networks (frequency bands, duplexing techniques, millimetre waves, small cells, massive MIMO, beamforming etc.) will be discussed.

2pm - 5pm - Video streaming basics: (Lab session)

Gosala Kulupana

This lab session will introduce video streaming technologies using ffmpeg encoding tools, ffserver and MPEG-DASH. Simple exercises will be discussed involving real-world applications giving participants a hands on experience on the underlying operations associated with video communication.

In addition, the concepts of error resilience and error concealment in video coding layer will be discussed with practical exercises.

9am - 10:30am - High Dynamic Range (HDR) video compression and transmission

Tim Border

This lecture gives a brief overview of HDR video contents, HEVC based HDR video compression, and HDR standards such as Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG). The applications and challenges of HDR video compression, streaming and transmission are discussed.

11am - 12:30pm - HbbTV: Specification and Applications

Oliver Botti

This lecture gives an overview of the technical specifications in DVB for interactive broadcast television, HbbTV standard and potential applications followed by a discussion on future of hybrid broadband/broadcasting television.

2pm - 3pm - Quality of Experience in media applications

Anil Fernando

A brief overview of video quality assessment. This lecture will cover objective and subjective video quality assessment techniques, network QoS implications for video quality, classifications of quality metrics, SSIM, VQM models and ITU-BT-500 specifications for subjective video quality assessment. In addition, the concept of Quality of Experience and its influence on video applications over QoS models will be discussed.

4pm - 5:30pm - Media content creation for visual search, identification and tracking

Miroslaw Bober

This lecture provides the background knowledge on visual search and media content analysis for the broadcast industry. The lecture covers, standardization activities for compact descriptors for video analysis and visual search, state-of-the-art video asset management with visual fingerprinting, digital watermarking and visual search capabilities, and the content creation processes that enable cross platform visual content tracking, identification and searching across diverse digital media ecosystems.

9am - 10:30am - Cloud resource allocation and content delivery architectures for interactive and personalized media content distribution

Dumidu Talagala

This lecture gives an overview of the content delivery network architectures for media distribution for interactive multimedia applications. The lecture is expected to provide an overview of requirements and specifications, resource planning, cloud resource provisioning and group QoE optimization to achieve immersive interactive broadcast content distribution across multiple social groups.

In addition, the challenges in video communication for interactive media applications in the context of related EU projects (e.g., ACTION-TV) will be discussed with a primary focus on the video content personalisation.

11am - 12:30pm - Challenges in video coding and research potentials

Thanuja Mallikarachchi

This presentation will provide ongoing and future research opportunities in the field of video coding. This will cover, the state-of-the-art research approaches followed with respect to the encoding and decoding complexity reduction of HEVC standard, improvements in error resilient aware video coding, usage of parallelization tools in HEVC, SHVC, video content adaptation logics and research activities beyond HEVC.

2pm - 5pm - MSc tutorial and revision session

Anil Fernando

This session summarizes the contents discussed throughout the course and discusses tutorial questions aligned with real-world use cases. The theoretical concepts in video coding will be revised and example questions will be discussed.