Video coding with large macroblocks

An apparatus for encoding video data, the apparatus comprising a video encoder configured to:

• receive a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels;
• partition the video block into partitions;
• encode one of the partitions using a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein encoding the partition using the first encoding mode comprises predicting the partition from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode;
• encode another of the partitions using a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• and
• generate block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels;
• means for partitioning the video block into partitions;
• means for encoding one of the partitions using a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein encoding the partition using the first encoding mode comprises predicting the partition from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode;
• means for encoding another of the partitions using a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• and
• means for generating block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions to cause a video encoder to:

• receive a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels;
• partition the video block into partitions;
• encode one of the partitions using a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein encoding the partition using the first encoding mode comprises predicting the partition from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode;
• encode another of the partitions using a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• and
• generate block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions.

A method of decoding video data, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a video decoder, a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels, wherein the video block is partitioned into partitions, wherein one of the partitions is encoded with a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein another of the partitions is encoded with a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• receiving block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions;
• and
• decoding the video block based on the block-type syntax information, wherein decoding comprises predicting the partition encoded with the first encoding mode from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode.

An apparatus comprising a video decoder configured to:

• receive a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels, wherein the video block is partitioned into partitions, wherein one of the partitions is encoded with a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein another of the partitions is encoded with a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• receive block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions;
• and
• decode the video block based on the block-type syntax information, wherein to decode the partition encoded with the first encoding mode, the video decoder is configured to predict the partition encoded with the first encoding mode from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels, wherein the video block is partitioned into partitions, wherein one of the partitions is encoded with a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein another of the partitions is encoded with a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• means for receiving block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions;
• and
• means for decoding the video block based on the block-type syntax information, wherein the means for decoding comprise means for predicting the partition encoded with the first encoding mode from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions to cause a video decoder to:

• receive, with a video decoder, a video block having a size of more than 16×16 pixels, wherein the video block is partitioned into partitions, wherein one of the partitions is encoded with a first encoding mode, wherein the first encoding mode comprises intra-prediction mode (I-mode), and wherein another of the partitions is encoded with a second encoding mode, wherein the second encoding mode comprises one of I-mode, P-mode, and B-mode, and wherein the second encoding mode is different from the first encoding mode;
• receive block-type syntax information for the video block that indicates the size of the video block and identifies the partitions of the video block and the encoding modes used to encode the partitions;
• and
• decode the video block based on the block-type syntax information, wherein the instructions to decode comprise instructions to predict the partition encoded with the first encoding mode from one or more neighboring pixels according to the I-mode.