Parallel Transcoding Audio Video Timestamp Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Media files with discontinuities in timestamp alignment between audio and video streams pose challenges for transcoding, leading to misalignment and synchronization issues during playback, especially when transcoding systems lack efficient methods to handle format conversions and storage constraints.
Innovation Solution
A transcoding system that processes media files by maintaining original timestamps for audio and video streams, generating additional timestamps as needed, and using a multiplexer to align and synchronize the streams, while segmenting streams for parallel processing to achieve efficient format conversion and storage optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If media files are transcoded to reduce file size and convert formats, then storage capacity requirements are reduced and device compatibility is improved, but audio-video synchronization may be lost due to timestamp discontinuities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media file into separate audio and video streams for independent processing. Each stream is handled separately through the transcoding process, allowing timestamp management to be applied specifically to maintain synchronization while enabling format conversion and size reduction of each stream independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary timestamp management mechanism that operates between the audio and video streams. This intermediary layer detects discontinuities in original timestamps and generates corrected timestamps that ensure proper synchronization is maintained in the transcoded output, acting as a mediator that reconciles the independent processing of audio and video streams.
2Productivity
If parallel processing is used to speed up transcoding, then productivity is improved, but complexity of managing timestamp alignment and stream synchronization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transcoding task into parallel segments (audio stream processing and video stream processing) that can be executed simultaneously. This segmentation enables productivity improvement through parallel processing while the timestamp management system coordinates the results to maintain synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of timestamps before the actual transcoding process begins. By detecting discontinuities and planning timestamp corrections in advance, the system prepares the synchronization strategy beforehand, which simplifies the coordination required during parallel processing and reduces the complexity of real-time timestamp management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If transcoding is performed to convert unsupported formats, then device compatibility is improved, but loss of original quality or introduction of artifacts may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a faithful copy of the original media content through the transcoding process. By carefully managing the conversion process and maintaining timestamp synchronization, the system produces a transcoded copy that preserves the original content quality and synchronization characteristics while adapting the format for device compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments directed to transcoding a bit stream comprising audio and video frames that contains discontinuities. The video and/or audio portion of the bit stream may be divided into segments, where some of the segments are transcoded in parallel using a plurality of transcoder devices. In some embodiments, a discontinuity is detected in the bit stream before encoding, where the discontinuity is associated with a shift in a set of time stamps associated with the bit stream. A magnitude of the discontinuity is determined. The transcoding system aligns at least a portion of the audio frames to the series of video frames according to at least the discontinuity and the magnitude of the discontinuity. In other embodiments, the discontinuity is detected after encoding by analyzing time stamps that have been established during the transcoding process.