RUSSIAN VERSION HERE!

Third Annual MSU MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Video Codec Comparison


For people, who make real research in field of high-end video compression and professionally use videocodecs

MSU Graphics & Media Lab (Video Group)

Take a look at this article on the new site! Follow the link
https://videoprocessing.ai/codecs/mpeg4-avc-h264-2006.html

See NEW VERSION on Fourth Annual H.264/AVC comparison page!

Project head: Dr. Dmitriy Vatolin
Testing, charts, analysis: Dmitriy Kulikov, Alexander Parshin
Translating: Artem Titarenko
Verification: Dr. Maxim Smirnov

Codecs that Were Tested

  • DivX 6.2.5 (Is not H.264 codec, was taken only as reference)
  • MainConcept H.264
  • Intel H.264
  • VSS H.264
  • x264
  • Apple H.264 (partial tested)
  • Sorenson H.264 (partial tested)

    • Comparison Content

    There are two parts of the comparison - 2006 year results and over-years comparison. First part is comparison of modern codecs, provided by developers in this year. Second part is summarizing of H.264 codecs results over three previous years.
  • Following metrics were measured:
  • PSNR (Y, U, V components)
  • SSIM (Y component)
  • VQM (Y component)

  • Codecs were analyzed separately in the following types of application:
  • "Videoconferences"
  • "Movies"
  • "HDTV"
    • Individual codecs' settings were used for each of that types of application.
  • Video sequences that were used in this comparison:
  • "foreman" (standard sequence)
  • "akiyo" (standard sequence)
  • "carphone" (standard sequence)
  • "battle” (part from "Terminator-2" movie)
  • "rancho" (part from "Terminator-2" movie)
  • "matrix" (part from "The Matrix" movie)
  • "futurama" (part from "Futurama" cartoon)
  • "concert" (part of HDTV translation)

    • Different Comparion Versions

    Short version of report is now available at website for free download (52 pages, 47 figures). Full version of report now available for free download too (157 pages, 185 charts). It includes following additional topics:
  • SSIM RD curves individually for each sequence from all sequences
  • All codecs presets
  • Differences between PSNR and SSIM results
  • Absolute encoding speed charts
  • Relative Bitrate/Relative Speed graphs individually for each sequence from test set
  • Relative bitrate for the same quality for all pairs of codecs
  • Bitrate handling graphs
  • Per-frame quality and dispersion graphs
  • Additional results for Apple and Sorenson codecs
  • More detailed testing results for DivX 6.2.5 codec (most presets of this codec)
    • All sequences, used in this comparison are provided with full version of report.
    You can download full version of report (PDF, 1.6 Mb) or support us purchasing full version using this link.

    Comparison Rules

  • All codec’s options and presets were provided by codec’s authors
  • An important restriction on a preset is encoding time for it. A few iterations of compliance testing and preset optimization were made to meet the requirements.
  • JM 9.8 reference decoder was used to decode all encoded streams.
  • All objective metrics measurements were performed with MSU Video Quality Measurement Tool (Pro Version)
  • For each preset both speed and quality were measured

    • Download

  • Third Annual MSU H.264 Video Codec Comparison - PDF (1.38 Mb)
  • Third Annual MSU H.264 Video Codec Comparison - ZIP (1.2 Mb)
  • Third Annual MSU H.264 Video Codec Comparison Full Version - PDF (1.6 Mb) (Free now!)
    Dear video codec professionals!
    You can support this comparison by buying the full version of our report.
    This contribution will help us:
  • To continue this comparison without any participation fees (this is important for x264 and XviD AVC next year)
  • To avoid comparison sponsorship by codecs' developers
  • To keep comparison detailed and useful
    • Thank you for your contribution in advance!
    The full report will be available immediately following this link.
    If you have a discount code please use this form (if you are a member of scientific/academic organization, please contact us).
    •

    Thanks

    Special thanks to the following big and small contributors

    Intel AMD Adobe KDDI R&D labs Tata Elxsi

    Contact Information

    See all MSU Video Codecs Comparisons

    MSU video codecs comparisons resources:

    Other Materials

    Video resources:

    3D and stereo video
    Projects on 3D and stereo video processing and analysis
    MSU Video Quality Measurement tools
    Programs with different objective and subjective video quality metrics implementation     		Codecs comparisons
    Objective and subjective quality evaluation
    tests for video and image codecs
    Ext. link: x264 parameters efficiency comparison
    Public MSU video filters
    Here are available VirtualDub and AviSynth filters. For a given type of digital video filtration we typically develop a family of different algorithms and implementations. Generally there are also versions optimized for PC and hardware implementations (ASIC/FPGA/DSP). These optimized versions can be licensed to companies. Please contact us for details via video(at)graphics.cs.msu_ru.     		Filters for companies
    We are working with Intel, Samsung, RealNetworks and other companies on adapting our filters other video processing algorithms for specific video streams, applications and hardware like TV-sets, graphics cards, etc. Some of such projects are non-exclusive. Also we have internal researches. Please let us know via video(at)graphics.cs.msu_ru if you are interested in acquiring a license for such filters or making a custom R&D project on video processing, compression, computer vision.
    Video codecs projects
    Different research and development
    projects on video codecs     		Other
    Other information
    Last updated: 12-May-2022

    Server size: 8069 files, 1215Mb (Server statistics)

    Project updated by
    Server Team and MSU Video Group

    Project sponsored by YUVsoft Corp.

    Project supported by MSU Graphics & Media Lab