Method of down-sampling data values

1. A method of down-sampling data values, said method comprising:

determining a first set of data values comprising a central data value and peripheral values of original data spatially surrounding said central data value;

comparing differences between the central data value and said peripheral values to a threshold;

replacing a peripheral value corresponding to a difference that exceeds the threshold with a clipped value based upon the central data value, thereby producing a second set of data values but leaving the peripheral value unchanged when the difference is lower than the threshold; and

low pass filtering the second set of data values.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the threshold as a trade-off between aliasing and blurring.

3. A device for down-sampling data values, said device comprising:

means for determining a first set of data values comprising a central data value and peripheral values of original data surrounding said central data value;

means for determining whether differences between the central data value and said peripheral values exceed a threshold;

means for replacing a peripheral value corresponding to a difference that exceeds the threshold with a clipped value based upon the central data value, thereby producing a second set of data values but leaving the peripheral value unchanged when the difference is lower than the threshold, thereby producing a second set of data values; and

means for low pass filtering the second set of data values.

4. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:

a memory for storing the down-sampled data values; and

a device for up-sampling the down-sampled data values stored in the memory.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a decoding unit for providing a residual error;

a motion compensation unit adapted to deliver motion compensated data values; and

an adder for adding the residual error to the motion compensated data values, the output of said adder being provided to the input of the storage unit.

6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising:

an embedded encoding unit between the device for down-sampling and the memory; and

an embedded decoding unit between the memory and the device for up-sampling.

7. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:

a screen for displaying the down-sampled data values.

8. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:

a video encoder that uses the low pass filtered data values.

9. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:

a portable apparatus that uses the low pass filtered data values.

10. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:

a computer processor that uses the low pass filtered data values.