Inline codec switching
View Patent ↗Techniques described herein are directed to the inline switching of video and/or audio codecs for video and/or audio data. A first device encodes data that includes portion(s) that are encoded using a first codec and portion(s) that are encoded using a second codec. The encoder may further encode supplemental information in the data. The supplemental information is used by the decoder to determine a transition between the first and second portion(s). The decoder can thus anticipate the transition and properly switch the codec used to decode the data in real-time. Techniques described herein are also directed to the splicing of locally-stored content into content received from a remotely-located source. For example, targeted advertisements that are stored locally may be played back during commercial breaks of live content. The locally-stored targeted advertisements may replace the commercials provided via the remotely-located source.
1. A method performed by a decoding device, the method comprising:
receiving encoded data comprising a first portion that is encoded in accordance with a first codec and a second portion that is encoded in accordance with a second codec, wherein the first codec uses a different coding scheme than the second codec;
decoding the first portion of the encoded data in accordance with the first codec to obtain decoded data;
determining that the encoded data includes supplemental information located within the first portion of the encoded data and before a last frame encoded using the first codec, after which the encoded data transitions to the second portion;
flushing the decoding device of the first portion of the encoded data in advance of reaching the transition point;
configuring the decoding device to decode the second portion in accordance with the second codec based on the transition point; and
decoding the second portion of the encoded data in accordance with the second codec based on the supplemental information upon reaching the transition point.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoded data comprises encoded video data or encoded audio data.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a plurality of first pictures that are encoded in accordance with the first codec, and
wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of second pictures that are encoded in accordance with the second codec.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of first pictures comprises:
a sequence of the first pictures, and
wherein the supplemental information is located after a picture before a last picture in the sequence of the first pictures.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the supplemental information further indicates a number of first pictures within the plurality of first pictures that are to be decoded before the transition point.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental information further indicates at least one of:
the second codec to be used to decode the second portion of the encoded data;
one or more of a profile, level, and tier of the second portion of the encoded data; or
a resolution of the second portion of the encoded data.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental information comprises a Supplemental Enhancement Information message.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental information comprises User Data.
9. A method performed by an encoding device, the method comprising:
inserting supplemental information in a first portion of data and before a last frame encoded using the first codec, the first portion to be encoded in accordance with a first codec, the supplemental information indicating a transition point after which a second portion of the data is to be encoded in accordance with a second codec, wherein the first codec uses a different coding scheme than the second codec; and
inserting a marker in between the first portion and the second portion, the marker corresponding to the transition point,
wherein the supplemental information is configured to provide advance warning of the transition point to a decoding device to flush the decoding device of the first portion in advance of reaching the transition point and to configure the decoding device to decode the second portion in accordance with the second codec based on the transition point.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data comprises at least one of video data or audio data.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first portion comprises a plurality of first pictures that are encoded in accordance with the first codec, and
wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of second pictures that are encoded in accordance with the second codec.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first pictures comprises:
a sequence of the first pictures, and
wherein the inserting comprises:
inserting the supplemental information after a picture before a last picture in the sequence of the first pictures.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the supplemental information further indicates a number of first pictures of within the plurality of first pictures that are to be decoded by the decoding device before the transition point.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the supplemental information further indicates at least one of:
the second codec to be used to decode the second portion of the encoded data;
one or more of a profile, level, and tier of the second portion of the encoded data; or
a resolution of the second portion of the encoded data.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the supplemental information comprises a Supplemental Enhancement Information message.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the supplemental information comprises User Data.
17. A method performed by a decoding device, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first source external to the decoding device, a first portion of encoded data and a second portion of the encoded data, the first portion and the second portion being encoded in accordance with a first codec;
decoding the first portion of the encoded data in accordance with the first codec to obtain decoded data;
determining that the encoded data includes supplemental information within the first portion and before a last frame encoded using the first codec, that indicates a transition point after which encoded data stored locally to the decoding device is to be decoded, the encoded data stored locally to the decoded device being encoded in accordance with a second codec, wherein the first codec uses a different coding scheme than the second codec;
flushing the decoding device of the first portion of the encoded data in advance of reaching the transition point;
configuring the decoding device to decode the encoded data stored locally in accordance with the second codec based on the transition point; and
decoding the encoded data stored locally to the decoding device in accordance with the second codec based on the supplemental information upon reaching the transition point.