SIF1 Video Codec

[Neiromaster]

The SIF1 project was launched in the autumn of 2000, with the major goal of finding new approaches for video compression. We developed a new class of algorithms for image compression. Its working title is "SIF-conversion". This class of algorithms can be realized in a number of ways, and the total efficiency of the resulting compression engine depends on the method of realization chosen. During several years, we worked on different compression engines based on SIF conversion. The sixth compression core was found to be the best basis for realizing the new codec. It should be noted that it could be further improved since the developed engine represents a compromise between the compression efficiency obtained and the time spent on the engine development.

History of versions

0.45 Alpha4
1. Decoding speed has been increased over 1.6 times.
2. The total compression efficiency has been increased.
3. The level of some artifacts of image compression has been decreased.
4. The psychovisual model has been appreciably increased.

0.40 Alpha3
1. The algorithm has been improved and the efficiency of the operation of the Core6 analyzing part has been increased. The level of some artifacts on the image has been decreased.
2. The algorithm of the quantizer operation has been changed.
3. An adaptive algorithm of the bit rate control had been added.
4. The sharpness of the decoded image has been appreciably increased.
5. The psychovisual model has not been finally debugged. However, it operation is acceptable.
6. The total compression efficiency has been considerably increased.
7. This version is not compatible with the previous one, but all subsequent versions of the codec will decode the video compressed by the former version.

0.30 Alpha2
1. The entropy codec has been corrected and modified.
2. The level of some artifacts of image compression has been considerably decreased.
3. The functionality of the motion compensation engine has been improved.
4. An automatic arrangement of key frames has been added.
5. The compression efficiency has been appreciably increased.
6. Support of input color spaces RGB32, YUY2, and YV12 has been added.
7. This version is fully incompatible with the previous one.

0.25 Alpha1 - The first public version.

Further plans

1. To add new compression regimes in which the size of the output compressed file can be specified.
2. To improve the operation of the motion detection engine and to add the new higher quality regimes that are oriented at real-time compression.
3. To develop an option of using quarter-pixel motion compensation. In present version, standard half-pixel compensation is used.
4. To further improve the operation of the analyzing part of Core6.
5. To perform SSE2 and multiprocessor optimization of the current code.
6. To develop a new core (Core7) and SIF 2 codec on its basis.


http://mysif.ru/SIF1_dd_Eng.htm

[Sirber]

Is it VFW? Is it CLI? What container supports it? How is it compared to XviD?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Is it VFW? Is it CLI? What container supports it?

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8009/sifvz6.gif
I guess the answers are "VfW" and "AVI" ;)

// EDIT

DirectShow decoder filter for playback is included.

[Neiromaster]

What container supports it?

AVI, Matroska, Ogm


How is it compared to XviD?

Between x264 and XviD. Closer XviD.

[bratao]

Good,
REAL Good !!

Keep the good work, you maybe can create a true alternative to the mpeg products !

By the way, how the internal of this codec, its wavelet, macroblock... ??

[mod]

Any possibility to see it on Linux? VFW doesn't work well on it ^^

[Neiromaster]

Good, REAL Good !!
Thanks.


By the way, how the internal of this codec, its wavelet, macroblock... ??

It based on the adaptive block size overlapped motion compensation and set of overlapped subband transforms.
A species of transform determined local statistic of image.

It isn't wavelet, it isn't block transform, its SIF - absolutely new patentable algorithm. :cool:

[Neiromaster]

Any possibility to see it on Linux?

It will be possible in future.
I'm planning release decoding library on VP3-like license in future.

[pardus]

It will be possible in future.
I'm planning release decoding library on VP3-like license in future.

Why not add it to ffmpeg under L/GPL ? Maybe even dual license for commercial usage.

[bratao]

I´m checking some samples of your site and i like it.

The exemple that i see is the Matrix "metro" one. ITs 200 Kbits/s
I like the image is degradation of low bitrate , it isnt "block", it like "noise" the image .

In this such premature stage(no configuration, no 2 pass,...) , its a very exciting codec !

[KoD]

"L/GPL"

Just because those are buzzwords on everyone's lips it doesn't mean they're actually what you want.

[MfA]

As long as there are no patents involved there really isn't much use going with the original VP3 license over LGPL.

[GodofaGap]

You should compare both licenses first before making such a statement. VP3 grants almost complete freedom, as long as you don't use patented algorythms themselves to make something completely different. LGPL is far more restrictive.

[BeyondTheEyes]

Thanks.

It based on the adaptive block size overlapped motion compensation and set of overlapped subband transforms.
A species of transform determined local statistic of image.

It isn't wavelet, it isn't block transform, its SIF - absolutely new patentable algorithm. :cool:

- SIF stands for ?
- any preprocessing (e.g. deblocking) ?
- any adaptive frame-skipping ?
- any rate-distortion optimization ?
- any ...
- any chance http://mysif.ru/O_SIF.htm to be translated into english ?

- anyway, it looks (very) promising ! ;-)

PS : Are OBMC and M-band decompositions really that "new" ?

[Neiromaster]

- SIF stands for ?

Now its just SIF ;)

- any preprocessing (e.g. deblocking) ?

It not use any pred-postprocessing technique and inloop filtering.
I'm working at otner path to increase quality.

- any adaptive frame-skipping ?

It isn't in early plans.

- any rate-distortion optimization ?

It stands in early development stady.

- any chance http://mysif.ru/O_SIF.htm to be translated into english ?
Maybe.


PS : Are OBMC and M-band decompositions really that "new" ?

1) I didn't say that OBMC is new.
2) M-band decompositions != subband transform
For example: Laplacian Pyramid and Steerable Pyramid is not M-band but its subband transforms.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Will there be official specs available to the public, so developpers can implement their own encoders/decoders? I ask, because I doubt it will ever become popular without proper ffmpeg/lavc support...

[BeyondTheEyes]

For example: Laplacian Pyramid and Steerable Pyramid is not M-band but its subband transforms.
Would you "disclose" that SIF1 is using an overcomplete representation ?-) If, yes, may I kindly ask how you achieve to remove (or at least minimize) the underlying redundancy ?

BTW, I have just made a quick test with SIF1 (DVD source -> 640x272@25Hz, ~500 Kbps) and I must admit that the result is quite impressive (in terms of perceived quality, not PSNR, which may not be appropriate here to assess the quality of SIF1 in comparison with traditionnal hybrid DCT-based codecs, right ?)

[foxyshadis]

PSNR isn't an appropriate measurement for anything, except matching up individual blocks in the codec. At minimum use SSIM, at best use your eyes on tough scenes.
Will there be official specs available to the public, so developpers can implement their own encoders/decoders? I ask, because I doubt it will ever become popular without proper ffmpeg/lavc support...

Popularity among companies or academia generally has nothing to do with popularity among the open source crowd.

Subband transforms were somewhat popular in the late 80's and early 90's, but fizzled out as mpeg-4 made its appearance and delivered similar efficiency with better performance, and scaled up better. They're still useful at the bottom end for the same reason jpeg2k is much better than jpeg at the bottom end, but I'm interested that performance here seems relatively good even at higher birates.

Still, I was under the impression that pretty much anything remotely related to subband encoding had been long patented away, another reason they aren't so popular now. Or have they started to fall out of patent?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Popularity among companies or academia generally has nothing to do with popularity among the open source crowd.

Yeah. But do you really think the companies are interesetd in a completely new standard like SIF1 when H.264/AVC and WMV/VC-1 are on their way ???
I doubt that, even if SIF1 had really good results...

But I think it could become popular very easy among the OpenSource crowd when it perfroms good and has a proper implementation in ffmpeg (or at least a free encoder/decoder lib)

[MfA]

Basically subband transforms are a subset of wavelet transforms, they predate wavelet theory.

Why are you ignoring lifting though? Fundamentally lossy transforms are just not acceptable anymore IMO. We have to learn from the past, MPEG4 and it's problems with varying DCT implementations specifically.

[Neiromaster]

Would you "disclose" that SIF1 is using an overcomplete representation ?-)

No, I don't want to disclose it before it's not patented.

I want to say just that:

1) SIF is relative very far to Steerable Pyramid, but it works on the slightly different principle.

2) It's native 2D adaptive transform. All power of this method is not perfectly realized in Core6. In future I will considerably increase compression efficiency.

3) It's very fast. Don't ask me why.
It faster than many wavelet exept Haar.

4) It's very eye candy because it's very close with HVS.

not PSNR, which may not be appropriate here to assess the quality of SIF1 in comparison with traditionnal hybrid DCT-based codecs, right ?)

It use HVS model to improve visual quality.

[Neiromaster]

Basically subband transforms are a subset of wavelet transforms, they predate wavelet theory.

For me, wavelet transforms subset of subband transforms, otherwise DCT is subset of wavelet transforms toо.

SIF is lossless transform but SIF1 not work in lossless mode.

Why are you ignoring lifting though?
Lifting is the wavelet technique and it's not applicable with SIF.

[Neiromaster]

Will there be official specs available to the public, so developpers can implement their own encoders/decoders?

I want patent main method before to open specification.

[MfA]

Nah, you can use lifting for M-band transforms too ... if the transform is lossles you are probaly using ladder networks, different names same thing.

[DarkZell666]

I'm having trouble finding a download link >_<"
Not even in the "downloads" section ...

Would someone be kind enough to provide a link plz ?

Edit : found one here : http://freesoft.ru/file.html?id=669604&dl=0&filename=SIF1_alpha4.exe

[johnsonlam]

I want patent main method before to open specification.

I hope you can get the patent soon.

The codec is great. I'm using default setting, it compressed my DVD ripped clip with extraordinary good size and speed. I guess bitrate maybe low, distortion can be seen.

Since the codec is new, IMO you can add text under the "Quantization level", mark some position as "Good quality (low compression), medium and low quality (high compression)" so people can have a reference.

I've no idea how "Color quantization" and "Additional quantizer" affect the quality, can you provide a screen capture to explain how they affect quality? Thanks.

Thanks for making this great codec! It's definitely a success!

[shae]

Any news about the codec?

[johnsonlam]

Any news about the codec?

http://freesoft.ru/?id=669604

No update since 2006.

[ckmox]

wow this video codec looks promising i tested it out of curiosity im no expert, i just judged it through my eyes
codec installer -> http://www.mysif.ru/Files/SIF1_v_1_10.exe
sample video encoded (267 kilobits per second; 528x224 pixels) -> http://www.mysif.ru/Avi/Matrix_tr.avi

and it does not have blocking artifacts at all, the artifacts i saw are like psy-rd effects of x264, it looks great

what happened to this project? is it dead already? it will be good to make this open source and become something big

[nakTT]

I have been away from video encoding for sometime and I can see from the demo that the version 1.2 looks promising.
Do share info on the upcoming version. Hope this thread can get frequent info/update like x264 thread.

Thank you in advance.

[Neiromaster]

I have been away from video encoding for sometime and I can see from the demo that the version 1.2 looks promising.
Do share info on the upcoming version. Hope this thread can get frequent info/update like x264 thread.

Thank you in advance.

Unfortunately the last some months I couldn't work on the project.
I earned money to repay debts. Since January, 2012 I am going to renew work on the project.
The new version of the codec will be released in the beginning of summer.
I have two young children in my family. Therefore I can't work over the project constantly.

[nakTT]

Unfortunately the last some months I couldn't work on the project.
I earned money to repay debts. Since January, 2012 I am going to renew work on the project.
The new version of the codec will be released in the beginning of summer.
I have two young children in my family. Therefore I can't work over the project constantly.
Looking forward to the 2012 development.

BTW, thanks for the reply.