Method and system for compressing digital video streams

A video compression method comprising:

• receiving an input video frame divisable into plural input macrob locks;
• providing each input macroblock to a set of rate control units;
• for each input macroblock, selecting the output of a rate control unit which provides highest quantization factors for the lowest distortion for said input macroblock;
• and
• using the per block, rate control output for encoding said input video frame.

A video compression method comprising:

• receiving an input video frame;
• providing said input video frame to a set of rate control units;
• for each input frame, selecting the output of a rate control unit which provides highest quantization factors for the lowest distortion for said input frame;
• and
• using the per frame, rate control output for encoding said input video frame.

A video compression unit comprising:

• a divider to divide an input video frame into plural input macroblocks;
• a set of motion estimators each receiving the same input macroblock;
• a selector to select, for each input macroblock, the output of a motion estimator which provides minimal motion estimation prediction errors for said input macroblock;
• and
• an encoder to use the per block, motion estimation output for encoding said input video frame.

A video compression unit comprising the steps of:

• a divider to divide an input video frame into plural input macrob locks;
• a set of rate control units each receiving the same input macroblock;
• a selector to select, for each input macroblock, the output of a rate control unit which provides highest quantization factors for the lowest distortion for said input macroblock;
• and
• an encoder to use the per block, rate control output for encoding said input video frame.

A video compression unit comprising:

• a set of rate control units each to receive an input video frame;
• a selector to select, for each input frame, the output of a rate control unit which provides highest quantization factors for the lowest distortion for said input frame;
• and
• an encoder to use the per frame, rate control output for encoding said input video frame.