Psychovisually optimized dithering for image and video encoding

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving a request to encode an image from a first depth of pixel values to a second, different depth of pixel values at a content delivery service;
• detecting a flat region without texturing and a non-flat region with texturing in the image having the first depth of pixel values;
• dithering pixel values in the non-flat region and flattening pixel values in the flat region, wherein the flattening comprises converting each same pixel value of the flat region without texturing of the first depth of pixel values to a same, non-integer pixel value of the second, different depth of pixel values;
• and modifying the same, non-integer pixel values of the second, different depth of pixel values to a same, integer pixel value of the second, different depth of pixel values;
• encoding the dithered pixel values and the flattened pixel values of the image into an encoded image having the second, different depth of pixel values by the content delivery service;
• and
• transmitting the encoded image from the content delivery service to a viewer device.

A system comprising:

• a content data store to store an image;
• and
• one or more electronic devices to implement a content delivery service, the content delivery service including instructions that upon execution cause the content delivery service to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a request to encode the image from a first depth of pixel values to a second, different depth of pixel values at the content delivery service,
• detecting a flat region without texturing and a non-flat region with texturing in the image having the first depth of pixel values,
• dithering pixel values in the non-flat region and flattening pixel values in the flat region, wherein the flattening comprises converting each same pixel value of the flat region without texturing of the first depth of pixel values to a same, non-integer pixel value of the second, different depth of pixel values;
• and modifying the same, non-integer pixel values of the second, different depth of pixel values to a same, integer pixel value of the second, different depth of pixel values,
• encoding the dithered pixel values and the flattened pixel values of the image into an encoded image having the second, different depth of pixel values by the content delivery service, and
• transmitting the encoded image from the content delivery service to a viewer device.