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March 5th 2003 Version 2 FDAM1-2.4-030305
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INTEGRATORS:

Yi-Shin Tung (tung@cmlab.csie.ntu.edu.tw), National Taiwan University.

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REASON FOR UPDATE:
Major Changes of the Newly Integrated Version (microsoft-v2.4-030305-NTU)

1. Update codes to support error-resilient simple scalable profile (14496-2:2001 Amd 4).
2. Integrate VTC-update in n5254 to support alpha channel coding of VTC (14496-2:2001 Amd 3)
3. Add an additional valid entry "VOTypeIndication", in the parameter file, to fill the correct "video_object_type_indication" field of the output bitstream.
4. Fix bugs of testing random changes for MB quantizers when the directive "_MBQP_CHANGE_" is applied.
5. Fix the project setting of Win32 debug build, in which the directive "_MBQP_CHANGE_" is enabled.
6. Solve problems when compiling on Linux platform.
7. Terminate the encoding process and report the prohibition if the combined use of interlace or grey scale and data partitioning is detected.
8. Add new testing feature of enabling or disabling Quarter-pel in the VOP level, which can be enabled through the directive, "_VOP_MC_SWITCHING_".

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Problem Descriptions
The following bugs are solved in the new release (refer to the Visual Problem Reported document). 

1. There is a problem of the background composition function when both the base and the enhancement layers are non-rectangular objects. The composition should check not only the current mask but also the previous mask to correctly set the background value. The conformance bitstreams of 14496-4:1999, vcon-scc3.cmp and vcon-scc3_e.cmp encountered this problem. The background of the enhancement reconstruction is filled with the padding pixels of previous or future background frame (i.e. the base-layer reconstruction). However, in practice, these pixels should be transparent.
2. Current MS reference software does not read the video_object_type_indication from the parameter file. It always writes video_object_type_indication the default value, 1 (simple_object_type).

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Cross Check with the Latest Momusys Code
The cross check of two versions of reference software is necessary to confirm the overall correctness. To make the output of two versions of reference software have the same frame output order, which is convenient to make comparison on the behaviors of the two reference softwares, the slight modification on Momusys code is done. The update codes are put in a Zip file appended with this document. The modification allows the input of decoding parameters by the command-line arguments instead of a control file (.ctl), and the output will adapt to the variable frame-timings coded in the bitstream instead of a fixing output rate. The preliminary results about testing the rectangular-object conformance bitstreams in 14496-4:1999 are summarized here.

1. The bitstream, hit031.m4v, causes Momusys version crash due to the fact that the first VOP is P-VOP but fully composed of intra-MBs.
2. There is one frame less in the output raw files when decoding bitstreams, mat000.m4v and mat001.m4v, due to the duplicate time code for frames 348 and 349.
3. There are some different output values for frame 8 of mat021.m4v, frame 0 of mat054.m4v, frame 1 of pio009.m4v and frame 1 of pio010.m4v.

Any suggestions or comments to this document are welcome, and please inform us by the e-mail (tung@cmlab.csie.ntu.edu.tw). 


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FILES CHANGED:
many

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COMMENTS:

