Adaptive pre-filtering based on video complexity, output bit rate, and video quality preferences

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more sequences of instructions for dynamic pre-filtering of digital video, which when executed by one or more processors, cause:

an adaptive video preprocessor determining a current video complexity of the digital video and an output bit rate; and

the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating a strength of one or more preprocessing filters based on (a) the current video complexity, (b) the output bit rate, and (c) a selected value of a video quality preference category, wherein the video quality preference category is assigned two or more natural language values which are each translatable into a particular strength value for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters,

wherein dynamically updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a ratio of the current video complexity to the output bit rate for the digital video exceeds a threshold at the output bit rate, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of the motion compensated temporal preprocessing filter (MCTF), the mosquito noise reduction (MNR) preprocessing filter, and the deblocking preprocessing filter and decreasing the strength of the sharpening preprocessing filter.

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

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is higher than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to sharpen and enhance color of the digital video.

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

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is lower than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to preserve more color of the digital video and remove more noise and artifacts from the digital video.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the adaptive video preprocessor updates the strength of the one or more preprocessing filters based, at least in part, upon selected values of two or more video quality preference categories, wherein the two or more video quality preference categories each is assigned two or more natural language values which are each translatable into a particular strength value for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the output bit rate is lower than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor increasing the filtering strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters to increase the smoothing of edges of the digital video.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that an amount of motion depicted by the digital video exceeds a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor increasing the filtering strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters responsible for smoothing edges of the digital video.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a qscale value for the digital video exceeds a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of a smoothened picture preprocessing filter to reduce the qscale value of the digital video.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

the adaptive video preprocessor employing a curve tracing strategy to use an algorithm to derive an updated filter strength for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the stress level of the digital video exceeds a threshold at the output bit rate, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of the horizontal low-pass preprocessing filter (HLPF).

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a selected combination of or video quality preference category values operate at cross-purposes with each other, the adaptive video preprocessor automatically changing the filter strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters from a particular default filter strength designated by a user.

11. An apparatus for dynamic pre-filtering of 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:

an adaptive video preprocessor determining a current video complexity of the digital video and an output bit rate; and

the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating a strength of one or more preprocessing filters based on (a) the current video complexity, (b) the output bit rate, and (c) a selected value of a video quality preference category, wherein the video quality preference category is assigned two or more natural language values which are each translatable into a particular strength value for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters, wherein dynamically updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a ratio of the current video complexity to the output bit rate for the digital video exceeds a threshold at the output bit rate, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of the motion compensated temporal preprocessing filter (MCTF), the mosquito noise reduction (MNR) preprocessing filter, and the deblocking preprocessing filter and decreasing the strength of the sharpening preprocessing filter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is higher than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to sharpen and enhance color of the digital video.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is lower than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to preserve more color of the digital video and remove more noise and artifacts from the digital video.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the adaptive video preprocessor updates the strength of the one or more preprocessing filters based, at least in part, upon selected values of two or more video quality preference categories, wherein the two or more video quality preference categories each may is assigned two or more natural language values which are each translatable into a particular strength value for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the output bit rate is lower than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor increasing the filtering strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters to increase the smoothing of edges of the digital video.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that an amount of motion depicted by the digital video exceeds a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor increasing the filtering strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters responsible for smoothing edges of the digital video.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a qscale value for the digital video exceeds a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of a smoothened picture preprocessing filter to reduce the qscale value of the digital video.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

the adaptive video preprocessor employing a curve tracing strategy to use an algorithm to derive an updated filter strength for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the stress level of the digital video exceeds a threshold at the output bit rate, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of the horizontal low-pass preprocessing filter (HLPF).

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a selected combination of or video quality preference category values operate at cross-purposes with each other, the adaptive video preprocessor automatically changing the filter strength of at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters from a particular default filter strength designated by a user.

21. A method for dynamic pre-filtering of digital video, comprising:

an adaptive video preprocessor determining a current video complexity of the digital video and an output bit rate; and

the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating a strength of one or more preprocessing filters based on (a) the current video complexity, (b) the output bit rate, and (c) a selected value of a video quality preference category, wherein the video quality preference category is assigned two or more natural language values which are each translatable into a particular strength value for at least one of the one or more preprocessing filters,

wherein dynamically updating the filtering strength of the one or more preprocessing filters comprises:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that a ratio of the current video complexity to the output bit rate for the digital video exceeds a threshold at the output bit rate, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically increasing the strength of the motion compensated temporal preprocessing filter (MCTF), the mosquito noise reduction (MNR) preprocessing filter, and the deblocking preprocessing filter and decreasing the strength of the sharpening preprocessing filter.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is higher than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to sharpen and enhance color of the digital video.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

upon the adaptive video preprocessor determining that the digital video has a complexity-output bit rate ratio that is lower than a threshold, the adaptive video preprocessor dynamically updating the strength of one or more preprocessing filters to preserve more color of the digital video and remove more noise and artifacts from the digital video.