Encoding/transcoding based on subjective video quality preferences

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions for encoding or transcoding a digital video, which when executed by one or more processors, cause:

receiving, from a user via a user interface, a set of user-supplied criteria about independent visual parameters for encoding or transcoding said digital video,

wherein said independent visual parameters are employed in a calculation of video quality measured by an encoder or transcoder, and wherein said independent visual parameters include one or more of: the amount of contrast, the amount of details, luminance, the sensitivity to black and white levels, and motion;

creating a video quality profile for said user that describes said set of user-supplied criteria about said independent visual parameters; and

upon determining that said video quality profile is associated with a compressed digital video bit stream, iteratively re-encoding or re-transcoding said compressed digital video bit stream to a final rate of compression, frame by frame, for said compressed digital video bit stream by using said video quality profile to ensure that the final rate of compression, for each frame, in said compressed digital video bit stream satisfies said user-supplied criteria about said independent visual parameters.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein determining a final rate of compression for said compressed digital video bit stream using said video quality profile comprises:

upon determining that a measured video quality of said compressed digital video bit stream exceeds a target video quality, then re-encoding said compressed digital video bit stream using a higher rate of compression; and

upon determining that a measured video quality of said compressed digital video bit stream is lower than said target video quality, then re-encoding said compressed digital video bit stream using a lower rate of compression.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 2 , wherein said target video quality is based, at least in part, on said video quality profile.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein determining said final rate of compression for said compressed digital video bit stream using said video quality profile comprises: consulting said video quality profile to determine a specific bit allocation for a particular visual parameter, configured by said user-supplied criteria described by said video quality profile, for said compressed digital video bit stream.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein said determining a final rate of compression for said compressed digital video bit stream comprising using a plurality of video quality profiles which includes said video quality profile.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of video quality profiles each cause a different constant bit rate or average variable bit rate to be used in re-encoding said compressed digital video bit stream, and wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

identifying a highest resolution and frame rate that provides a target video quality for bit rates associated with each of the plurality of video quality profiles.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein said user is associated with a supplier or provider of said digital video and is not a viewer of said digital video.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein said user is a viewer of said digital video.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein said user is a viewer of said digital video, and wherein said compressed digital video bit stream is initially created using a first set of esthetic digital video preferences associated with a supplier or provider of digital video.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions for encoding or transcoding a digital video, which when executed by one or more processors, cause:

creating a video quality profile that describes one or more of a set of features supported by a display device, wherein said set of features includes a physical screen size of said display device;

identifying that a display device, of a plurality of display devices, is intended to display said compressed digital video; and

upon determining that said video quality profile is associated with said display device, determining a final rate of compression, frame by frame, for said compressed digital video using said video quality profile and encoding or transcoding said digital video, frame by frame, in said final rate of compression.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 10 , wherein determining said final rate of compression for said compressed digital video bit stream using said video quality profile comprises:

consulting said video quality profile to determine a specific bit allocation for one or more visual parameters for said compressed digital video bit stream.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 10 , wherein said set of features supported by said display device further include support for a three dimensional display.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 10 , wherein said user is associated with a supplier or provider of said digital video and is not a viewer of said digital video.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 10 , wherein said user is a viewer of said digital video.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 10 , wherein said user is a viewer of said digital video, and wherein said compressed digital video bit stream is initially created using a first set of user-supplied criteria about visual parameters that may be used to encode or transcode said digital video whereby said user-supplied criteria are supplied by a supplier or provider of digital video.

16. An apparatus for encoding or transcoding a digital video, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed, cause:

receiving, from a user via a user interface, a set of user-supplied criteria about visual parameters used in encoding or transcoding said digital video,

wherein said individual visual parameters are employed in a calculation of video quality measured by an encoder or transcoder, and wherein said independent visual parameters include one or more of: the amount of contrast, the amount of details, luminance, the sensitivity to black and white levels, and motion;

creating a video quality profile for said user that describes said set of user-supplied criteria about visual parameters; and

upon determining that said video quality profile is associated with a compressed digital video bit stream, iteratively re-encoding or re-transcoding said compressed digital video bit stream to a final rate of compression, frame by frame, for said compressed digital video bit stream by using said video quality profile to ensure that the final rate of compression, for each frame, in said compressed digital video bit stream satisfies said individual visual parameters.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said target video quality is based, at least in part, on said video quality profile.

18. A method for encoding or transcoding a digital video, comprising:

receiving, from a user via a user interface, a set of user-supplied criteria about visual parameters that are used in encoding or transcoding said digital video,

wherein said individual visual parameters are employed in a calculation of video quality measured by a encoder or transcoder, and wherein said independent visual parameters include one or more of: the amount of contrast, the amount of details, luminance, the sensitivity to black and white levels, and motion;

creating a video quality profile for said user that describes said set of user-supplied criteria about said visual parameters; and

upon determining that said video quality profile is associated with a compressed digital video bit stream, iteratively re-encoding or re-transcoding said compressed digital video bit stream to a final rate of compression, frame by frame, for said compressed digital video bit stream by using said video quality profile to ensure that the final rate of compression, for each frame, in said compressed digital video bit stream satisfies said individual visual parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said target video quality is based, at least in part, on said video quality profile.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the user interface displaying in real-time the compressed digital video bit stream that satisfies said user-supplied criteria about said independent visual parameters.