A fast 8×8 integer Tchebichef transform and comparison with integer cosine transform for image compression

Presently, there is an undeniable need for novel transform coding techniques promising improved reconstruction and reduced computational complexity in the field of image and data compression. Discrete Tchebichef transform (DTT), though possessing valuable properties like energy compaction, is a potentially unexploited polynomial-based orthogonal transform, compared to the much popular Discrete Cosine transform (DCT). Specifically, integer DCT is widely used in the field of video compression in view of its ease of computation and acceptable performance. However, specific features of the image, such as the structure and content, profoundly influence the quality of the reconstructed image after decompression. This paper focuses on identifying areas where integer DTT might be an alternative to integer DCT for image compression. An integer-transform for the fast computation of 8×8 DTT that reduces the computational complexity significantly is proposed. The image compression performance of integer DTT and integer DCT are evaluated and compared.