System and method for providing a single-layer video encoded bitsreams suitable for reduced-complexity decoding

A method for encoding input-video image having at least one macro-block, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating at least one motion vector and at least one motion-compensation-prediction value for each macro-block of said input-video image;
• (b) transforming said prediction value into a set of DCT coefficients;
• (c) modifying the set of said DCT coefficients into a set of new DCT coefficients according to predetermined criteria;
• (d) quantizing the set of said DCT coefficients;
• and,
• (e) coding said quantized set of said coefficients and said motion vector to produce an encoded macro-block.

An encoding system for encoding an input-video image, comprising:

• a motion-estimation-prediction module configured to receive said input-video image and to generate at least one motion vector and at least one prediction-error signal;
• a discrete-cosine-transformer (DCT) module coupled to the output of said motion-estimation-module for transforming said prediction-error signal into a two-dimensional array of DCT coefficients, said DCT coefficients being modified according to the classification of a picture type from said input-video image;
• a quantization module, coupled to said DCT module, for quantizing said modified DCT coefficients to produce quantized coefficients;
• a zig-zag scanning module, coupled to said quantization module, configured to convert said quantized coefficients into a serial representation;
• and,
• a coding module for coding said quantized set of said coefficients and said motion vector to produce an encoded macro-block.

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, and the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• generate a motion vector for each macro-block of said input-video image;
• generate a predictive-image signal of said input-video image based on said motion vector;
• transform said predictive-image signal into a two-dimensional array of DCT coefficients;
• modify the array of said DCT coefficients into a set of new DCT coefficients according to predetermined criteria;
• quantize said new DCT coefficients into a quantized DCT value;
• perform a zigzag scan to read each row of said new DCT coefficients into a serial chain;
• and,
• code said serial chain from said zigzag scan and said motion vector to produce an encoded macro-block.