Encoder for encoding a media signal

Encoder for encoding a media signal, configured to

• perform a first-pass encoding of a spatially sub-sampled version of the media signal using a probe QP so as to acquire first-pass bitrates for frames of the media signal,
• determine, based on the first-pass bitrates, start QPs for the frames of the media signal;
• and
• perform a second-pass encoding of a not spatially sub-sampled version of the media signal with using the start QPs.

Data stream having encoded therein a media signal using a method for encoding a media signal, the method comprising

• performing a first-pass encoding of the media signal with restricting the first-pass encoding onto a set of frames out of a sequence of immediately consecutive frames of the media signal and using a probe QP for each of the set of frames of the media signal, so as to acquire a first-pass bitrate for each of the set of frames,
• determining, based on the first-pass bitrate for each of the set of frames, a start QP for each of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames;
• and
• performing a second-pass encoding of the media signal with using the start QP for each of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames,
• wherein the method comprises at least one of
• (i) the sequence of immediately consecutive frames is a group of pictures having a hierarchical referencing structure with temporal layers including a temporal base layer 0 up to a highest temporal layer N-1 and the method comprise selectin the set of frames out of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames so that the set of frames includes all frames of temporal layers 0 to k-1, and, for each temporal layer k to N-1, only a proper subset of the frames of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames which belong to the respective temporal layer, wherein 1<k<N,
• (ii) wherein the method comprises performing scene detection to detect scene changes, and select the set of frames out of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames depending on whether any of the scene changes falls into the sequence of immedi-ately consecutive frames so that the set of frames represents a sequentially sub-sampled subset of a sequence of immediately consecutive frames of the media signal in case of none of the scene changes falling into the sequence of immediately consecutive frames, and
• (iii) wherein the method comprises performing scene detection to detect scene changes separating scenes, and determine, based on the first-pass bitrate for each of the set of frames, the start QP for each of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames in a manner depending on the scene changes so that, for each of the sequence of immediately consecutive frames, the start QP is exclusively determined based on the first-pass bitrate of one or more frames within the set of frames, which fall into a scene into which the respec-tive frame falls.

Data stream having encoded therein a media signal using a method for encoding a media signal, the method comprising

• performing a first-pass encoding of a spatially sub-sampled version of the media signal using a probe QP so as to acquire first-pass bitrates for frames of the media signal,
• determining, based on the first-pass bitrates, start QPs for the frames of the media signal;
• and
• performing a second-pass encoding of a not spatially sub-sampled version of the media signal with using the start QPs.