On the performance of syntax-based error detection in H.263 video coding: a quantitative analysis

In this work we evaluate the effectiveness of syntax-based error detection in the context of H.263 video transmission over a noisy, error-prone, channel. We assume transmission is carried out over a non-protected channel, i.e., no information about error occurrence is fed to the application by the transport layer. More specifically, the probability of missing an error or revealing one when no error is actually present is calculated. Particular care is taken to distinguish between macroblock (MB) data errors and header errors: since they have a different impact on reconstructed video quality. We also investigate the possibility of interpreting errors by relying on syntax information only: e.g. we try to discriminate between errors affecting motion vectors and errors altering the value of DCT coefficients. Extensive testing, performed at different rates and with channels characterized by different error probabilities, suggests that the necessity exists of using more reliable error detection approaches.