Patent ID: 7440502

Claim:
A video system comprising: a video processing circuit that receives a picture and provides video compression by using an optimal macroblock mode of operation, the optimal macroblock mode of operation being identified by processing at least one macroblock of the picture, the processing being performed independent of other macroblocks contained in the picture, wherein the video processing circuit includes an encoder, the encoder comprising: a motion estimation circuit that identifies an optimal motion vector by processing at least one macroblock contained in the picture, wherein the processing is carried out independent of other macroblocks contained in the picture; and a mode selection circuit that identifies the optimal macroblock mode of operation, wherein the mode selection circuit identifies the optimal macroblock mode of operation by using a rate-distortion model, where the rate-distortion model comprises an overall macroblock mode distortion D that is defined by a model equation D=D AC +D DC , wherein D AC is a distortion due to AC coefficients and D DC is a distortion due to DC coefficients.