Video encoding

A method for selecting a predictive macroblock partition from a plurality of candidate macroblock partitions in motion estimation and compensation in a video encoder comprising:

• determining a bit rate signal for each of said candidate macroblock partitions;
• generating a distortion signal for each of said candidate macroblock partitions;
• calculating a cost for each of said candidate macroblock partitions based on a respective bit rate signal and respective distortion signal to produce a plurality of costs;
• and
• determining a motion vector from said costs, wherein said motion vector designates said predictive macroblock partition.

An apparatus for selecting a predictive macroblock partition in motion estimation and compensation in a video encoder comprising:

• a motion compensation block to receive a macroblock of a current frame and an M by N search area and generate a residual error signal;
• a forward transform block coupled with said motion compensation block to receive said residual error signal and transform said residual error signal into a frequency-domain residual error signal;
• a quantization approximation block coupled with said forward transform block to receive said frequency-domain residual error signal and generate an approximated quantization signal based on a first quantization parameter and generate an approximated inverse quantization signal based on a second quantization parameter;
• an entropy coding approximation block coupled with said quantization approximation block to receive said approximated quantization signal and generate a rate signal, wherein said rate signal is used in selecting said predictive macroblock partition;
• and
• a sum of squared difference block coupled with said quantization approximation block to receive said approximated quantization signal and said approximated inverse quantization signal and generate a distortion signal, wherein said distortion signal is used in selecting said predictive macroblock partition.