Video decoding in a symmetric multiprocessor system

A system for decoding compressed video, the system comprising:

• a group of symmetric multiple processors;
• a memory coupled to the group of symmetric multiple processors;
• a storing module, in each of the group of symmetric multiple processors, configured to store a compressed video data into the memory, the video having a plurality of frames, each frame having one or more slices;
• a first assigning module, in the main processor, configured to assign one or more slices to one or more of the group of symmetric multiple processors for partial decoding;
• a partial decoding module, in each of the symmetric multiple processors, configured to partially decode the one or more assigned slices and storing the partially decoded one or more slices in the memory;
• a second assigning module, in the main processor, configured to assign each of the plurality of frames having at least one partially decoded slice for full decoding to the group of multiple processors;
• and
• a full decoding module, in each of the symmetric multiple processors, configured to fully decode each of the plurality of frames in combination.

A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a set of computer executable instructions for decoding compressed video data, the computer executable instructions comprising modules for:

• storing the compressed video data in a memory, the video having a plurality of frames, each frame having one or more slices;
• assigning the one or more slices, by a main processor of a group of symmetric multiple processors sharing the memory, to the group of multiple processors;
• partially decoding the one or more assigned slices by the one or more of the group of multiple processors and storing the partially decoded one or more slices in the memory;
• assigning, by the main processor, each of the plurality of frames having at least one partially decoded slice to one or more of the group of multiple processors;
• and
• fully decoding each of the plurality of frames by the group of multiple processors in combination.