Apparatus and method to improve image or video quality or encoding performance by enhancing discrete cosine transform coefficients

A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more computers effectuate operations of compressing data, the operations comprising:

• obtaining, with one or more processors, video or other image data to be compressed;
• compressing, with one or more processors, the data with a first discrete cosine transform (DCT) compression algorithm to obtain a first DCT amplitude matrix, wherein:
• the first DCT compression algorithm has a first compression rate;
• the first DCT amplitude matrix comprises a plurality of rows corresponding to different respective frequencies of variation in the data in a first direction;
• and
• the first DCT amplitude matrix comprises a plurality of columns corresponding to different respective frequencies of variation in the data in a second direction;
• compressing, with one or more processors, the data with a second DCT compression algorithm to obtain a second DCT amplitude matrix, wherein:
• the second DCT compression algorithm has a second compression rate that is a higher compression rate than the first compression rate;
• the second DCT amplitude matrix comprises a plurality of rows corresponding to different respective frequencies of variation in the data in the first direction;
• the second DCT amplitude matrix comprises a plurality of columns corresponding to different respective frequencies of variation in the data in the second direction;
• and
• the first DCT amplitude matrix and the second DCT amplitude matrix represent the same data compressed by differing amounts;
• forming, with one or more processors, a hybrid DCT amplitude matrix based on both at least part of the first DCT amplitude matrix and at least part of the second DCT amplitude matrix, the hybrid DCT amplitude matrix comprises at least some values from the first DCT amplitude matrix and at least some values from the second DCT amplitude matrix;
• and
• saving the hybrid DCT amplitude matrix or compressed data based on the hybrid DCT amplitude matrix to memory or sending the hybrid DCT amplitude matrix or compressed data based on the hybrid DCT amplitude matrix over a network.