Perceptual quantization matrices for high dynamic range H.265/MPEG-HEVC video coding

In this work, perceptual quantization matrices for high-resolution High Dynamic Range (HDR) video coding have been developed for optimizing perceived visual quality and for reducing video transmission bit-rate, further making a special emphasis on the Ultra High Definition (UltraHD) resolution and H.265/MPEG-HEVC video coding standard. According to the proposed coding scheme, perceptual quantization matrices are first calculated according to Human Visual System (HVS) characteristics and based on predefined viewing conditions, and then utilized during the encoding loop for removing non-perceptible visual information. The above-mentioned predefined conditions include, for example, a target HDR display resolution and a variety of display characteristics, such as a distance between a user and display, luminance levels, and many others. According to the detailed experimental results presented in this work, visual quality of the UltraHD HDR video sequences is significantly improved, for substantially the same bit-rate, in terms of both SSIMPlus and PSNR objective quality metrics. On the other hand, the video transmission bit-rate is reduced by up 11.3% and 2.4%, respectively, while keeping the visual quality at substantially the same level.