Method and apparatus for processing video pictures, especially for false contour effect compensation

A method for processing video pictures, useful for false contour effect compensation, the video pictures comprising pixels, the method comprising steps of:

• determining a digital code word for each pixel of the pictures, the digital code word determining the length of the time period during which the corresponding pixel of a display is activated, wherein to each bit of a digital code word a certain duration is assigned, defining a sub-field, the sum of the sub-fields according to a given code word determining the length of the time period during which the corresponding pixel is activated;
• determining the pixels of a picture for which a correction is needed by calculating motion vectors for blocks of pixels, wherein when two adjacent blocks with pixel values having a predefined difference move with the same motion vector, at least the pixels near the transition of the blocks are selected for correction;
• generating a corrected digital code word for the pixels determined for correction in the previous step;
• using the corrected digital code word for the pixels determined for correction instead of the original code word for display control, wherein
• the step of generating a corrected digital code word is based on a step of distributing corrections for the pixels determined for correction along a direction an observer follows the movement of the transition by inserting a sub-field activation entry where less luminance is observed and omitting a sub-field activation entry where too much luminance is observed according to the rule that along the various parallel observation trajectories for the moving transition the integration of activated sub-field weights remains stable.