Video decoder and video decoding method

A video decoding method executed by a video decoder, the video decoder decoding a stream encoded with a video encoding system, the encoded stream being obtained by encoding an image of a plurality of divided blocks, the video decoding method comprising:

• entropy decoding the stream of the blocks contained in block lines, the stream of the blocks in each of the block lines being entropy decoded in parallel with the stream of the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines, each of the block lines indicating an array of the blocks;
• computing prediction values of quantization parameters of the blocks contained in the block lines, the prediction values of the quantization parameters of the blocks in each of the block lines being computed in parallel with the prediction values of the quantization parameters of the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines;
• and
• generating decoded pixels with respect to the blocks contained in the block lines, the decoded pixels with respect to the blocks in each of the block lines being generated in parallel with the decoded pixels with respect to the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines, each of the decoded pixels being decoded by utilizing data decoded in the parallel entropy decoding processing and the prediction value, wherein
• when the prediction value computing processing is performed on N block lines in parallel, where the N is a value of two or greater, the prediction value computing processing is performed such that a processing block in a (K−1)th block line, which is processed in parallel with a processing block in a Kth block line, is ahead of the processing block in the Kth block line by at least one block in a horizontal position;
• when the processing block in the Kth block line is at a beginning of the Kth block line, a quantization parameter of a block processed immediately before the processing block in the Kth block line is initialized with a quantization parameter defined for a slice to which the processing block in the Kth block line belongs, and the prediction value of the quantization parameter of the processing block in the Kth block line is computed based on the initialized quantization parameter;
• when the processing block in the Kth block line is at a position other than the beginning of the Kth block line, the prediction value of the quantization parameter of the processing block in the Kth block line is computed based on a quantization parameter of a block that has already been processed in the Kth block line;
• and
• the quantization parameters of the blocks are determined based on the computed prediction values of the quantization parameters, the quantization parameters used to process the blocks, and decoded information indicating whether encoding results are all zero.

A recording medium storing a video decoding program executed by a video decoder, the video decoder decoding a stream encoded with a video encoding system, the encoded stream being obtained by encoding an image of a plurality of divided blocks, the video decoding program, when executed by the video decoder, implementing a procedure comprising:

• entropy decoding, by a processor, the stream of the blocks contained in block lines, the stream of the blocks in each of the block lines being entropy decoded in parallel with the stream of the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines, each of the block lines indicating an array of the blocks;
• computing prediction values of quantization parameters of the blocks contained in the block lines, the prediction values of the quantization parameters of the blocks in each of the block lines being computed in parallel with the prediction values of the quantization parameters of the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines;
• and
• generating decoded pixels with respect to the blocks contained in the block lines, the decoded pixels with respect to the blocks in each of the block lines being generated in parallel with the decoded pixels with respect to the blocks in a corresponding one of the block lines, each of the decoded pixels being decoded by utilizing data decoded in the parallel entropy decoding processing and the prediction value, wherein
• when the prediction value computing processing is performed on N block lines in parallel, where the N is a value of two or greater, the prediction value computing processing is performed such that a processing block in a (K−1)th block line, which is processed in parallel with a processing block in a Kth block line, is ahead of the processing block in the Kth block line by at least one block in a horizontal position;
• when the processing block in the Kth block line is at a beginning of the Kth block line, a quantization parameter of a block processed immediately before the processing block in the Kth block line is initialized with a quantization parameter defined for a slice to which the processing block in the Kth block line belongs, and the prediction value of the quantization parameter of the processing block in the Kth block line is computed based on the initialized quantization parameter;
• when the processing block in the Kth block line is at a position other than the beginning of the Kth block line, the prediction value of the quantization parameter of the processing block in the Kth block line is computed based on a quantization parameter of a block that has already been processed in the Kth block line;
• and
• the quantization parameters of the blocks are determined based on the computed prediction values of the quantization parameters, the quantization parameters used to process the blocks, and decoded information indicating whether encoding results are all zero.