Error resilient H.264/AVC video coding algorithm using ZIG-ZAG interleaved FMO

In accordance with the increasing requirements for video transmission over unreliable channels, the issue of error resilient video coding technology has been paid enough attention. Based on ZIG-ZAG interleaved flexible macroblock ordering, a novel algorithm called ZFMO is proposed in this paper. Different with the traditional raster scan order, ZFMO achieves a good tradeoff between coding efficiency and error resilience by rearranging macroblocks in ZIG-ZAG scanning order and partitioning the macroblocks into different slice groups in an interleaved way. Experimental results show that ZFMO outperforms H.264/AVC recommended algorithm in low packet loss environments. The using of ZFMO influences intra frame prediction and motion estimation because of the macroblocks rearrangements, so the coding mode selection must be reconsidered. The rate distortion optimization based ZFMO decreases the redundancy bitrate while maintain recovery video quality and error resilience performance. Simulation results based on H.264/AVC reference software JM9 suggest that the performance of rate-distortion optimized ZFMO can be further improved.