Recently, the Marie SkΕodowska-Curie Initial Training Network on Perceptually Optimised Video Compression, PROVISION, passed its two year anniversary. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ R&D is a proud member of this scientific network that aims to bring technical advances well beyond the capabilities of current video compression standards, focusing on human visual perception for the future of video compression.
PROVISION is one of the projects in which ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ R&D puts its efforts in . Within PROVISION we host two PROVISION researchers, and , both working under the supervision of . We are also responsible for the industrial coordination of the whole network, a task led by .
Much has happened in PROVISION since the project started just over two years ago. As an Initial Training Network, PROVISION puts particular attention on the training of its researchers and therefore, every six months, the consortium organises a week-long training event at one of the full partners. After Berlin, Nantes and Aachen, the network recently gathered in London for a training week organised by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ R&D.
During the training week in London, the PROVISION fellows had the chance to present their most recent work during a project wide viewing session and to attend a series of technical talks specifically compiled for the occasion. The talks were focused on practical applications of video compression solutions in broadcasting and production and were given by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs experts in this field. During the training week there was also room for a two day visit to the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Engineering Training Department in Wood Norton where the fellows had the opportunity to collect some hands-on experience on the latest broadcasting technologies.
Shortly after the project meeting at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ, most PROVISION researchers came back to London to participate in the 22nd (IWSSIP). IWSSIP brings together researchers and developers from both academia and industry to report on the latest scientific and theoretical advances in the field. PROVISION was invited to present a special session about the work carried out in the project. This special session was organised by and Dr. Karsten MΓΌller and the PROVISION network contributed with a total of nine research papers from its researchers and Associated Partners. This conference was an excellent platform to present the project to the research community and to present the research work conducted so far in the context of this project. As a special highlight, the PROVISION fellows Uday Thakur and Olena Chubach took home the for their joint work on βTexture Analysis and Synthesis using Steerable Pyramid Decomposition for Video Coding.β
Some PROVISION partners also organised a special session on perceptual video compression during the IEEE (ICIP) this September in Quebec City, Canada. , Prof. Dave Bull and Prof. Patrick Le Callet were the organisers of this special session, entitled βPerceptual Video Compression - for HEVC and beyondβ. This special session brought together key figures in perceptual-motivated video compression to present the latest advances in the field. The special session not only covered the latest work within PROVISION, but also a good mix of contributions from renowned academic and industrial institutions worldwide. Overall, the session received a lot of interest from the conference audience, with lively discussions on the topic.The program can be consulted .
