Patent ID: 8917768

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of video decoding using a video decoder, the method comprising: receiving encoded data in a bit stream for video; and with the video decoder, decoding video using at least some of the encoded data, wherein the decoding comprises computing a motion vector predictor for a current macroblock in a picture, including: calculating an initial predictor for the current macroblock based on one or more neighbor motion vector candidates of one or more neighboring macroblocks; comparing the initial predictor with at least one of the one or more neighbor motion vector candidates; and based at least in part on results of the comparing, using one of the one or more neighbor motion vector candidates as the motion vector predictor for the current macroblock, comprising: receiving a hybrid motion indicator bit signaled in the bit stream; and using the indicator bit to select which of the one or more neighbor motion vector candidates to use as the motion vector predictor for the current macroblock; wherein receiving the indicator bit is contingent upon the results of the comparing indicating use of one of the one or more neighbor motion vector candidates as the motion vector predictor for the current macroblock; wherein the macroblock is skipped, wherein the skipped macroblock uses the one of the one or more neighbor motion vector candidates as the motion vector predictor for the skipped macroblock, and wherein the skipped macroblock has no residual information.