Optimized in-loop filtering in versatile video coding using improved fast guided filter

Abstract

Devices with varying display capabilities from a common source may face degradation in video quality because of the limitation in transmission bandwidth and storage. The solution to overcome this challenge is to enrich the video quality. For the mentioned purpose, this paper introduces an improved fast guided filter (IFGF) for the contemporary video coding standard H.266/VVC (versatile video coding), a continuation of H.265/HEVC (high efficiency video coding). VVC includes several types of coding techniques to enhance video coding efficiency over existing video coding standards. Despite that, blocking artifacts are still present in the images. Hence, the proposed method focuses on denoising the image and the increase of video quality, which is measured in terms of peak signal-to-noise (PSNR). The objective is achieved by using an IFGF for in-loop filtering in VVC to denoise the reconstructed images. VTM (VVC test model)-17.2 is used to simulate the various video sequences with the proposed filter. This method achieves a 0.67% Bjontegaard delta (BD)-rate reduction in low-delay configuration accompanied by an encoder run time increase of 4%.