Coding Algorithms for 3DTV—A Survey

Research efforts on 3DTV technology have been strengthened worldwide recently, covering the whole media processing chain from capture to display. Different 3DTV systems rely on different 3D scene representations that integrate various types of data. Efficient coding of these data is crucial for the success of 3DTV. Compression of pixel-type data including stereo video, multiview video, and associated depth or disparity maps extends available principles of classical video coding. Powerful algorithms and open international standards for multiview video coding and coding of video plus depth data are available and under development, which will provide the basis for introduction of various 3DTV systems and services in the near future. Compression of 3D mesh models has also reached a high level of maturity. For static geometry, a variety of powerful algorithms are available to efficiently compress vertices and connectivity. Compression of dynamic 3D geometry is currently a more active field of research. Temporal prediction is an important mechanism to remove redundancy from animated 3D mesh sequences. Error resilience is important for transmission of data over error prone channels, and multiple description coding (MDC) is a suitable way to protect data. MDC of still images and 2D video has already been widely studied, whereas multiview video and 3D meshes have been addressed only recently. Intellectual property protection of 3D data by watermarking is a pioneering research area as well. The 3D watermarking methods in the literature are classified into three groups, considering the dimensions of the main components of scene representations and the resulting components after applying the algorithm. In general, 3DTV coding technology is maturating. Systems and services may enter the market in the near future. However, the research area is relatively young compared to coding of other types of media. Therefore, there is still a lot of room for improvement and new development of algorithms.

I. Introduction

Extending visual sensation to the third dimension has been investigated over decades. However, significant consumer mass markets haven't developed yet. 3-D video is established in niche markets, including professional applications (e.g., scientific visualization, medicine) and entertainment (IMAX cinemas, 3-D gaming). In recent years, research efforts have been strengthened worldwide to remove technological obstacles that encumber wider success of 3-D video applications [1]–[5]. Significant improvements have been achieved for all components of the processing chain, from acquisition and signal processing, over 3-D scene representation, coding and transmission, to rendering and 3-D display. Very likely various 3-D video systems, components, applications and services will enter the market in the near future.