Techniques for memory conservation when storing prediction data from motion compensation-based predictive coding

A system, comprising:

• a processing device;
• and
• a memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to code input video by:
• decoding coded pixel blocks of the reference frame according to coding modes of the pixel blocks, wherein at least one coded pixel block is coded predictively according to a prediction reference that includes a motion vector;
• developing a decoded reference frame from the decoded pixel blocks;
• coding the pixel blocks' prediction reference(s) into reduced-sized representations;
• and
• storing the decoded reference frame and the reduced-sized representation of the prediction reference(s) in a reference picture buffer.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

• computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more operations comprising:
• decoding coded pixel blocks of the reference frame according to coding modes of the pixel blocks, wherein at least one coded pixel block is coded predictively according to a prediction reference that includes a motion vector;
• developing a decoded reference frame from the decoded pixel blocks;
• coding the pixel blocks' prediction reference(s) into reduced-sized representations;
• and
• storing the decoded reference frame and the reduced-sized representation of the prediction reference(s) in a reference picture buffer.