JP2005252949A - Editing device, method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently combine a plurality of bit streams. <P>SOLUTION: An average bit rate Bout is a value set as an average bit rate of a bit stream after combining. An average bit rate Bsmax is a maximum value permitted as a bit rate of a bit stream which is made to be a combining object. A section A which is a bit stream equal to or less than the average bit rate Bout is combined as it is upon combining. A section C which is a bit stream equal to or more than the average bit rate Bsmax is reencoded upon combining, and is combined with a bit rate being lowered. When the section A and the section C are combined, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and on the basis of the determination result, a section B is determined whether or not it is combined after reencoding. The present invention can be applied to a computer which edits moving images. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an editing apparatus, method, and program, and more particularly, to an editing apparatus, method, and program suitable for use in editing a moving image that combines streams having different bit rates.

  Video cameras have become widespread, and moving images taken with video cameras are generally edited. A moving image shot by a video camera is encoded by a predetermined encoding method, for example, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method. The encoded moving image data (bit stream) is recorded on a predetermined recording medium (for example, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)).

  The user can edit the moving image recorded on the recording medium at the time after shooting. Examples of editing include cutting out unnecessary scenes and connecting cut out scenes. As editing, for example, when editing is performed such as combining cut-out scenes, a bit stream of a portion corresponding to the cut-out scene is once decoded, and then decoded again, so that a plurality of scenes (a plurality of bits are added). Stream).

When editing is performed by performing such decoding and encoding, the buffer is controlled so as not to cause overflow or underflow. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4)
JP 2002-152051 A JP-A-9-113136 JP-A-10-1645112 JP 11-1118024 A

  When the editing as described above is performed, there is a problem that the entire bit stream to be edited has to be re-encoded by variable encoding, which is inefficient.

  When a plurality of bit streams having different bit rates are combined, re-encoding processing for editing is executed regardless of the bit rate. For this reason, for example, a bit stream that has been encoded at a high bit rate is re-encoded at a low bit rate, which causes a problem that the image quality deteriorates.

  There is also a problem that a final output bit rate is set and re-encoding according to the output bit rate cannot be performed. Furthermore, there is a problem that there is no mechanism for adjusting the bit rate when bit streams having different bit rates are combined.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation. When a plurality of bitstreams are combined, it is possible to efficiently perform an editing process by determining a bitstream to be re-encoded and a bitstream not to be re-encoded. It aims to be able to do it.

  Another object of the re-encoding is to re-encode so as to match the set output bit rate. Furthermore, by re-encoding to match the set output bit rate and allowing the user to set the output bit rate, the image quality desired by the user is maintained. The purpose is to allow editing.

  The editing apparatus of the present invention is an editing apparatus that edits a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets, refers to information accompanying the bitstream, obtains a Difficulty, and re-encodes the bitstream based on the Difficulty value And a re-encoding unit that re-encodes the bitstream determined to be re-encoded by the determination unit and a re-encoding unit. It is characterized by comprising a bit stream and combining means for combining the bit streams determined not to be re-encoded by the determining means.

  If it is determined by the determination means that all the bitstreams to be edited are not to be re-encoded, it is determined whether or not the bit rate of the bitstream after editing does not exceed the target bitrate. Thus, it is possible to further include second determination means for determining whether or not all bitstreams to be edited can be edited without re-encoding.

  When the bit rate of the bit stream determined to be not re-encoded by the determining unit is equal to or higher than a threshold value related to a preset bit rate, the re-setting unit is further provided to reset the bit stream to be re-encoded. Can be.

  The editing method of the present invention is an editing method of an editing apparatus that edits a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets, refers to information accompanying the bitstream, obtains a Difficulty, and determines the bitstream based on the Difficulty value. A determination step for determining whether or not to re-encode, and a re-encoding step and a re-encoding step for re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded in the process of the determination step at a set bit rate. It includes a bit stream re-encoded by the process and a combining step for combining the bit streams determined not to be re-encoded by the process of the determining step.

  The program of the present invention is a program of an editing apparatus that edits a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets, refers to information attached to the bitstream, obtains a Difficulty, and re-encodes the bitstream based on the Difficulty value. A determination step for determining whether or not to re-encode, and a re-encoding step and a re-encoding step for re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded in the determination step processing at a set bit rate. The method includes a re-encoded bit stream and a combining step of combining the bit streams determined not to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step.

  The recording medium program of the present invention is a program for an editing apparatus that edits a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets, refers to information accompanying the bitstream, obtains a Difficulty, and based on the Difficulty value, A determination step for determining whether or not to re-encode the stream, and a re-encoding step and re-encoding for re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded by the processing of the determination step at a set bit rate It includes a bit stream re-encoded in the step processing and a combining step for combining the bit streams determined not to be re-encoded in the determination step processing.

  In the editing apparatus and method and the program of the present invention, when a plurality of bit streams are edited, the bit stream to be edited after re-encoding or re-encoding at the stage before the actual editing process is executed. It is determined whether the bit stream is to be edited without conversion.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently edit a moving image.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to edit a moving image while maintaining the image quality desired by the user. Also, the time required for editing can be shortened as compared with the time required for conventional editing.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to store the data amount of the edited moving image within the data capacity desired by the user.

  BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best mode of the present invention will be described below. The correspondence relationship between the disclosed invention and the embodiments is exemplified as follows. Although there is an embodiment which is described in the specification but is not described here as corresponding to the invention, it means that the embodiment corresponds to the invention. It doesn't mean not. Conversely, even if an embodiment is described herein as corresponding to an invention, that means that the embodiment does not correspond to an invention other than the invention. Absent.

  Further, this description does not mean all the inventions described in the specification. In other words, this description is for the invention described in the specification and not claimed in this application, i.e., for the invention that will be applied for in the future or that will appear as a result of amendment and added. It does not deny existence.

  The editing apparatus to which the present invention is applied refers to information accompanying the bitstream, obtains a Difficulty, and determines whether or not to re-encode the bitstream based on the value of the Difficulty (for example, FIG. 8). 4 that executes the processes of steps S51 and S52 in FIG. 4 and re-encoding means (for example, re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded by the determining means at a set bit rate) The bit stream re-encoded by the re-encoding unit and the bit determined not to be re-encoded by the determining unit, and the decoding unit 93 and the encoding unit 94 in FIG. A combination unit for combining the streams (for example, the control unit 73 in FIG. 4 that executes the process of step S58 in FIG. 8).

  If it is determined by the determination means that all the bitstreams to be edited are not to be re-encoded, it is determined whether or not the bit rate of the bitstream after editing does not exceed the target bitrate. As a result, second determination means for determining whether or not all the bitstreams to be edited can be edited without re-encoding (for example, the processing of steps S54 and S55 in FIG. 8 is executed). 4 is further provided.

  When the bit rate of the bit stream determined not to be re-encoded by the determining unit is equal to or higher than a preset threshold for the bit rate, re-setting unit (for example, re-setting to the bit stream to be re-encoded) 4 is further provided to execute the process of step S72 of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a moving image taken by a user with a video camera 11 is recorded on a recording medium 12, and moving image data recorded on the recording medium 12 is stored in a PC (Personal Computer). ) It can be applied when editing at 13. The present invention can also be applied to a case where a moving image downloaded to the PC 13 via the network 14 such as the Internet is edited on the PC 13 side.

  The present invention particularly relates to editing performed on the PC 13 side. In the following description, a case where the data to be edited is moving image data will be described as an example.

  In FIG. 1, a recording medium 12 is attached to a video camera 11. A moving image photographed by the video camera 11 is recorded on a recording medium 12 attached thereto. The video camera 11 records data encoded by a predetermined encoding method such as an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method or an AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) method on the recording medium 12.

  The user is configured to be able to view the moving image captured by the video camera 11 and recorded on the recording medium 12 even on the PC 13. The PC 13 is provided with a drive 40 (FIG. 2) for mounting the recording medium 12 and reading data from the recording medium.

  Alternatively, the video camera 11 and the PC 13 are configured to be connected with a predetermined cable (for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus)) that can exchange data, and are attached to the video camera 11 through the cable. The moving image data is supplied from the recording medium 12 to the PC 13.

  In this way, moving image data captured by the video camera 11 is supplied to the PC 13. In addition, the PC 13 is configured to be able to acquire, for example, moving image data captured by another user (this data is also encoded by a predetermined encoding method) via the network 14. ing.

  In this way, the PC 13 acquires moving image data.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the PC 13.

  A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31 of the PC 13 executes various processes according to programs stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 33 appropriately stores data, programs, and the like necessary for the CPU 31 to execute various processes. The input / output interface 35 is connected to an input unit 36 including a keyboard and a mouse, and outputs a signal input to the input unit 36 to the CPU 31. The input / output interface 35 is also connected with an output unit 37 including a display and a speaker.

  The input / output interface 35 is also connected to a storage unit 38 composed of a hard disk and a communication unit 39 that exchanges data with other devices via the network 14 such as the Internet. The drive 40 is used when data is read from or written to a recording medium such as the magnetic disk 51, the optical disk 52, the magneto-optical disk 53, and the semiconductor memory 54.

  The recording medium 12 is a magnetic disk 51, an optical disk 52, a magneto-optical disk 53, a semiconductor memory 54, or the like. Here, these different recording media are collectively referred to as a recording medium 12.

  In the present embodiment, the PC 13 functions as a device for editing the acquired moving image data as described above. Here, a function related to editing of the moving image data, and a function realized by the PC 13 in the present embodiment will be described.

  In the editing of moving image data, description will be made with reference to combining as an example. First, scenes (bitstreams) to be combined are selected, and the selected bitstreams are combined. The bit streams to be combined may include streams having different bit rates, streams having different image sizes, and the like.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing functions related to the selection of moving image data to be edited (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a selection function) among the functions related to editing realized by the PC 13.

  Here, it is assumed that the moving image data is recorded on the recording medium 12 and set in the drive 40. The drive 40 reads moving image data from the set recording medium 12 and supplies the moving image data to the reproducing unit 71. The reproduction unit 71 reproduces the supplied moving image data, and supplies the reproduced moving image data to the display unit 72.

  Since the moving image data supplied to the reproducing unit 71 is encoded based on a predetermined encoding method (for example, MPEG method), the reproducing unit 71 reproduces the decoded moving image data by decoding the supplied moving image data. Execute the process. The reproduction unit 71 is a function realized by the CPU 31 (FIG. 2) executing a predetermined program (decoder program). Alternatively, it may be provided as a function constituted by dedicated hardware.

  The display unit 72 is, for example, a display (not shown) constituting the output unit 37 (FIG. 2), and in this case, has a function of providing a moving image to the user.

  The encoded moving image data (bit stream) read from the recording medium 12 by the drive 40 and the bit stream reproduced by the reproducing unit 71 are also output and stored in the storage unit 38 as necessary. Here, “necessary” means based on an instruction from the control unit 73. The control unit 73 is provided to control each unit shown in FIG.

  The control unit 73 is a function realized by the CPU 31 (FIG. 2) executing a predetermined program. The control unit 73 controls each unit based on a user instruction input from the input unit 36. The input unit 36 includes a keyboard and a mouse (both not shown), and the user sets various types of information (details will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5) such as an IN point and an OUT point described later. Sometimes used. The input unit 36 also includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

  An editing function for editing a selected bitstream using such a selection function will be described. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram relating to the editing function. The recording medium 12 is set in the drive 40. Then, a bit stream or the like is supplied from the set recording medium 12 to the storage unit 38 as necessary, and stored. The control unit 73 exchanges a bit stream and the like with the storage unit 38. The control unit 73 is also supplied with data from the input unit 36 and executes processing corresponding to the data (mainly data related to instructions from the user).

  In order to realize the editing function, a switch 91, a switch 92, a decoding unit 93, and an encoding unit 94 are provided. By these parts, the bit stream to be edited is divided into a bit stream to be combined as it is and a bit stream to be re-encoded and combined.

  When combining processing is performed without re-encoding, the switch 91 is connected to the terminal a side, and the switch 92 is connected to the terminal c side. By connecting the switches 91 and 92 in this manner, the bit stream read from the storage unit 38 is not subjected to processing such as re-encoding, and is finally driven as a bit stream as it is. 40.

  The bit stream supplied to the drive 40 is recorded on a set recording medium (the recording medium 12 may be another recording medium different from the recording medium 12, or a hard disk drive or the like).

  On the other hand, when re-encoding and combining processing are performed, the switch 91 is connected to the terminal b side, and the switch 92 is connected to the terminal d side. By connecting the switch 91 to the terminal b side, the bit stream read from the storage unit 38 is input to the decoding unit 93. The decryption unit 93 decrypts the input bit stream by a decryption method (for example, MPEG method) corresponding to the encryption method of the bit stream.

  The decoded bit stream is supplied to the encoding unit 94. The encoding unit 94 performs encoding using the same encoding method as other bit rates in consideration of the relationship with other editing target bitstreams, for example, bit rates. The bit stream encoded by the encoding unit 94 is finally supplied to the drive 40 via the terminal d of the switch 92.

  In this way, a plurality of bit streams are combined. Each unit of the switch 91, the switch 92, the decoding unit 93, and the encoding unit 94 may be provided as hardware, or may be provided as software.

  In FIG. 4, the decoding performed by the decoding unit 93 and the encoding performed by the encoding unit 94 need not be performed based on the same method. Therefore, if a plurality of bit streams encoded by different methods are once decoded by the decoding unit 93 based on the respective encoding methods and encoded by the encoding unit 94 by the same method, the editing is performed. Later bitstreams may be encoded in the same manner.

  Next, processing in the selection function having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 and processing in the editing function having the configuration shown in FIG. 4 for editing the bitstream selected by the processing of the selection function will be described.

  First, the processing of the selection function having the configuration like the functional block shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S11, the bit stream (moving image data) is reproduced. A bit stream is read from the recording medium 12 set in the drive 40 and supplied to the playback unit 71. The reproduction unit 71 reproduces (decodes) the supplied bit stream and supplies the reproduced bit stream to the display unit 72. The display unit 72 displays a moving image based on the decoded bitstream.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 72. A moving image based on the bit stream reproduced by the reproducing unit 71 is displayed on the moving image display unit 111. The moving image display unit 111 is provided in a part of the display area of the display unit 72. An edit target display unit 112 is provided on the right side of the moving image display unit 111. The edit target display unit 112 displays a scene (still image) of a moving image based on a bit stream that is an edit target.

  A setting unit 113 and a setting unit 114 are provided below the editing target display unit 112. The setting unit 113 is provided so that a user can set an upper limit Dfmax and a lower limit Dfmin of values indicating difficulty of image quality (Difficulty). The setting unit 113 is provided with two scroll bars so that two threshold values, an upper limit Dfmax and a lower limit Dfmin, can be set. One scroll bar sets an upper limit Dfmax, and the other scroll bar sets a lower limit Dfmin.

  Here, the description will be continued assuming that a scene with intense movement or a scene recorded with high image quality is set as a scene when it is difficult.

  Although not shown, for example, a numerical value indicating a percentage (%) is displayed on the setting unit 113 at a corresponding position on the scroll bar. The higher the percentage, the higher the Difficulty. The values of the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin set by the setting unit 113 are used for calculation in the editing process described later.

  As will be described in detail later, a bitstream having a value of Difficulty greater than or equal to the upper limit Dfmax (hereinafter referred to as a value Dfi as appropriate) is re-encoded (Re-Rendering) and then subjected to a combining process. This means that an image that is more difficult than the upper limit Dfmax set by the user, for example, a stream that is recorded with high image quality, is recorded again with reduced image quality.

  In addition, a bit stream having a value Dfi equal to or lower than the lower limit Dfmin is also re-encoded (Re-Rendering). This means that a stream encoded at a high bit rate is converted into a stream encoded at a low bit rate, even though the image is not considered difficult, and the bit rate is adjusted. It means that.

  A stream having a value Dfi that is equal to or higher than the lower limit Dfmin and has a value Dfi up to the upper limit Dfmax is not re-encoded (as will be described later, there is a possibility of re-encoding due to other conditions. Set to be a stream that is not re-encoded).

  The setting unit 114 is provided for setting the threshold value α. The setting unit 114 is provided with a scroll bar, and the user can set a desired threshold value α by operating the scroll bar. This threshold value α is set as a value having a value from 0 to 1. When this threshold value α is set to 1, all streams are re-rendered and combined regardless of the above-mentioned Difficulty condition. Conversely, when set to 0, all streams are combined without being re-rendered regardless of the above-mentioned Difficulty condition.

  The threshold value α set by the setting unit 114 is also used for calculation in editing processing described later.

  By providing the setting unit 113 and the setting unit 114 as described above, it is possible to perform bitstream combining processing while maintaining the image quality desired by the user.

  The edit target display unit 112 is controlled so that the image of the displayed image is changed according to the values set by the setting unit 113 and the setting unit 114. Therefore, the user can set a desired value in the setting unit 113 and the setting unit 114 while viewing the image displayed on the editing target display unit 112 and confirming the image quality after editing.

  The display unit 72 is also provided with a button 115 for designating the IN point and a button 116 for designating the OUT point. The IN point indicates the start position of the stream to be edited (extracted), and the OUT point indicates the end position of the stream to be edited. The IN point and the OUT point are set by the user, respectively. For example, the user sets the IN point and the OUT point by operating the buttons 115 and 116 while referring to the moving image displayed on the moving image display unit 111.

  When operating the scroll bars and buttons 115 and 116 in the setting units 113 and 114, the user positions the cursor 121 on the bar or button to be operated and clicks the mouse (input unit 36 (FIG. 3)). The predetermined operation is performed.

  The “edit” button 117 is a button that is operated when bitstream editing is executed when various settings are completed.

  The screen of the display unit 72 illustrated in FIG. 6 is an example and does not indicate limitation. For example, the IN point and OUT point may be set by moving a scroll bar or the like.

  Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 5, the bit stream reproduced as the process in step S <b> 11 is displayed on the moving image display unit 111.

  In step S12, it is determined whether or not an IN point has been instructed. The control unit 73 determines whether there is an IN point instruction by determining an input to the input unit 36. In this case, when the button 115 for instructing the IN point is operated, data indicating that is supplied from the input unit 36 to the control unit 73, and thus the control unit 73 is supplied with such data. By determining whether or not, step S12 is performed.

  In step S12, the process in step S12 is repeated until it is determined that the IN point has been instructed. If it is determined that the IN point has been instructed, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S <b> 13, data indicating the designated IN point is stored in the storage unit 38.

  Next, in step S14, it is determined whether or not an OUT point has been designated. Whether or not the OUT point has been instructed is determined by determining whether or not the button 116 for instructing the OUT point has been operated. This determination is also made based on the data supplied from the input unit 36 as in the case of the IN point (similar to the processing in step S12).

  In step S14, the process in step S14 is repeated until it is determined that the OUT point has been instructed. If it is determined that the OUT point has been instructed, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, data indicating the instructed OUT point is stored in the storage unit 38.

  In this way, the range (from the IN point to the OUT point) of the stream to be edited (extracted) from the predetermined bit stream is set (stored).

  When the data regarding the IN point and the OUT point is stored in the storage unit 38, the bit stream from the IN point to the OUT point is extracted and stored in the storage unit 38 in step S16. In the following description, the extracted bit stream is stored in the storage unit 38, and the bit stream stored in the storage unit 38 is read as a stream that is actually edited in an editing process described later.

  As another embodiment, the storage unit 38 stores IN point and OUT point data, and when the actual editing process is performed, the IN point and OUT point stored in the storage unit 38 are stored. The bit stream to be edited may be read from the recording medium 12 (FIG. 3) from the data.

  Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the bit stream corresponding to the storage unit 38 is stored in step S <b> 16, the Q value is read and stored in the storage unit 38 in step S <b> 17. Here, the Q value is a Q scale type value when the bit stream is compressed by the MPEG method. Here, the description is continued assuming that the Q value is used, but a value related to a motion vector may be used.

  The read Q values are the Q value near the IN point and the Q value near the OUT point of the bitstream stored in the storage unit 38 in the process in step S16. At least two Q values are read from one bitstream. As will be described later, at least two Q values are read out in order to calculate an average value as will be described later. Of course, two or more Q values may be read out. In that case, the Q value may be read every predetermined amount of data, every predetermined time, or the like.

  In step S17, when the reading and storage of the Q value are completed, the process returns to step S11, and the selection process is executed for the next bit stream to be edited.

  While such processing is repeated by the selection function having the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the processing based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 is executed by the editing function shown in FIG. In step S31, the control unit 73 (FIG. 4) determines whether or not the “edit” button 117 (FIG. 6) has been operated. The control unit 73 determines in step S31 by determining whether data indicating that the “edit” button 117 has been operated is input from the input unit 36.

  If it is determined in step S31 that the “edit” button 117 has not been operated, the process proceeds to step S32. In step S32, it is determined whether the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin set in the setting unit 113 (FIG. 6) have been set. If it is determined in step S32 that the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin are set, the process proceeds to step S33. If it is determined that the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin are not set, the process of step S33 is skipped. The process proceeds to step S34.

  In step S33, the set upper limit Dfmax and lower limit Dfmin are stored in the storage unit 38.

  In step S34, it is determined whether or not the threshold value α is set. If it is determined in step S34 that the threshold value α is set, the process proceeds to step S35. If it is determined that the threshold value α is not set, the process in step S35 is skipped, and the process returns to step S31. And the subsequent processing is repeated.

  In step S35, the set threshold value α is stored in the storage unit 38.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that the “edit” button 117 has been operated, the process proceeds to step S36. In step S36, it is determined whether or not the upper limit Dfmax, the lower limit Dfmin, and the threshold value α are stored in the storage unit 38 (set by the user). If it is determined in step S36 that the upper limit Dfmax, the lower limit Dfmin, and the threshold value α are not stored, the process proceeds to step S37. If it is determined that they are stored, the process of step S37 is skipped. The process proceeds to step S38.

  In step S <b> 37, the upper limit Dfmax, the lower limit Dfmin, and the threshold value α that are used as defaults when not set by the user are read from the storage unit 38. If set by the user, the set upper limit Dfmax, lower limit Dfmin, and threshold value α are read from the storage unit 38.

  In step S38, a bitstream combining process is executed. The combining process in step S38 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8. Prior to the description, the edited bitstream will be described with reference to FIG.

  It is assumed that the bit streams selected by the selection function are bit stream A, bit stream B, and bit stream C. From the bit stream A, the section A is extracted as a bit stream to be combined, from the bit stream B, the section B is extracted as a bit stream to be combined, and from the bit stream C, the section C is a bit stream to be combined. Extracted as

  The sections A to C are bit streams extracted by performing the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 for each of the bit streams A to C. By combining the extracted bit streams of the sections A to C (to be combined), a new bit stream D is generated as shown in FIG.

  In such a case, data as shown in FIG. That is, the IN point, the OUT point, the bit stream, and the Q value are stored for each of the sections A to C. Furthermore, a default upper limit Dfmax, a lower limit Dfmin, and a threshold value α set by the user are also stored.

  Processing (combination processing) related to generation of the bit stream D (FIG. 11) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 11, the case where the bit streams in the sections A to C are combined is taken as an example, and data is stored in the storage unit 38 as shown in FIG. It will be explained as being.

  In step S51, the calculation of Difficulty is performed for each bit stream in the sections A to C. In step S52, the Re-Rendering section (bit stream to be re-encoded) is determined based on the calculated Difficulty. Here, the processing of steps S51 and 52 will be described.

  The calculation of Difficulty is performed by reading the Q value stored in the storage unit 38 (FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 12, the storage unit 38 stores a Q value for each of the sections A to C. As for the Q value, as described above, at least two Q values are stored for each section. In the calculation of Difficulty in step S51, an average value of Q values is calculated for each section A to C.

  Here, as a result of calculation of Difficulty, the value of Difficulty in section A is set to “value Dfa”, the value of Difficulty in section B is set to “value Dfb”, and the value of Difficulty in section C is set to “value Dfc”. And

  When the calculation of Difficulty is performed for each of the sections A to C, the value Dfa, the value Dfb, and the value Dfc (in the following description, it is not necessary to distinguish the value Dfa, the value Dfb, and the value Dfc here) In this case, the value Dfx is used), and the Re-Rendering section is set. The values of the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin are related to the setting of the Re-Rendering section. In this case, if the value Dfx is greater than or equal to the upper limit Dfmax or less than or equal to the lower limit Dfmin, it is set as a Re-Rendering section.

Expressed as a formula:
Value Dfx> Upper limit Dfmax (1)
Value Dfx <lower limit Dfmin (2)
It becomes. When either the expression (1) or the expression (2) is satisfied, the bit stream in the section having the value Dfx is set as the bit stream in the Re-Rendering section.

Upper limit Dfmax> value Dfx> lower limit Dfmin (3)
The bit stream in the section corresponding to the value Dfx that satisfies Expression (3) is set as a section that is not re-encoded (hereinafter referred to as a Smart-Rendering section).

  For example, when the value Dfa satisfies Expression (1), the section A is set as a Re-Rendering section, and the bitstream corresponding to the section A is re-encoded by the process described later (the process of step S57).

  As described above, the Difficulty value Dfx is calculated from the Q value. The Q value is a value related to quantization, and the value related to quantization affects the image quality. Therefore, the process of setting the Re-Rendering section in steps S51 and S52 is a process of setting a section that maintains the image quality (Smart-Rendering section) and a section that does not maintain the image quality (Re-Rendering section).

  A section satisfying the expression (1) is set as a Re-Rendering section, but the image quality of the section set as the Re-Rendering section is lowered. In other words, when it is determined that the section satisfies the formula (1), the value Dfx is larger than the upper limit Dfmax because the Q value is a large value (and therefore the image quality is good). .

  As described above, there may be a case where the image quality is not maintained and the image quality is deteriorated due to the setting of the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin. Therefore, for example, when the setting unit 113 is operated on the screen of the display unit 72 shown in FIG. 6 so that the image quality does not deteriorate more than the user predicted, according to the operation. Alternatively, a mechanism may be provided in which the image displayed on the edit target display unit 112 changes.

  For example, one scene in the section A (FIG. 11) is displayed on the editing object display unit 112 as an image representing the section A. Each time the scroll bar of the setting unit 113 is operated, the image quality of the section A is displayed so as to change according to the set value. If such a mechanism is provided, the user can set the upper limit Dfmax and the lower limit Dfmin while confirming the image quality. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a disadvantage that the image quality is lower than the image quality expected by the user.

  Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 8, when the Re-Rendering section is set in Step S52, it is set as the Re-Rendering section in the section to be edited (in this case, sections A to C) in Step S53. It is determined whether or not there is a set section.

  In step S53, when it is determined that there is no section set as the Re-Rendering section in the section to be edited, in other words, all sections (in this case, sections A to C) are Smart- If it is determined that the Rendering section has been set, the process proceeds to step S54.

  In step S54, a Re-Rendering section is determined based on the output bit rate. In the case where the process proceeds to step S54, it is already determined in the process in step S52 that all are Smart-Rendering sections. In this step S54 again, this time, based on the output bit rate, Re-Rendering section and Smart-Rendering section are reset.

  The setting of the Re-Rendering section in step S54 will be described. In other words, this process is a process for determining whether or not all sections may be Smart-Rendering sections. Here, the average bit rate of the bit stream that is finally output (after editing) is controlled to be Bout Mbps.

Bout Average bit rate of the bit stream after editing (target bit rate)
Bsi Bit rate (Mbps) of the bit stream to be edited
Lsi Bitstream length (data capacity) to be edited
Lsum The total length of the bitstream that is to be edited (time length)
The subscript “i” is a bitstream number assigned to each section.

  Whether or not all the sections are to be Smart-Rendering sections is basically determined by determining whether or not the average bit rate Bout of the entire edited bitstream is equal to or less. Specifically, it is performed by determining whether or not the following expression (4) is satisfied.

((Ls1 / Lsum) × Bs1) +... + ((Lsi / Lsum) × Bsi) ≦ Bout
... (4)

When processing the sections A to C, if the subscript “i” in Expression (4) is associated with A, B, and C, the following expression is obtained.
((LsA / Lsum) × BsA) + ((LsB / Lsum) × BsB) + ((LsC / Lsum) × BsC) ≦ Bout

  For example, ((LsA / Lsum) × BsA) will be described as an example. ((LsA / Lsum) × BsA) is a value indicating the length (LsA) of the bit stream in section A. Divide by a value indicating the length (Lsum) when all C bitstreams are added (LsA / Lsum), and multiply the divided value by a value indicating the bitrate (BsA) of the bitstream in section A doing.

  (LsA / Lsum) indicates the ratio of the length of the bit stream in the section A to the length of the bit stream when all the sections A to C are combined. Then, multiplying such a ratio by the bit rate (BsA) of the bit stream in the section A means that the bit rate occupied by the section A is the bit rate of the bit stream when all the sections A to C are combined. Will be shown.

  By calculating and adding these values for each section (in this case, for each section A to C) and adding (calculating the sum), the average bit rate when all sections are combined as a Smart-Rendering section is calculated. Is done. If this average bit rate is within the target output average bit rate Bout Mbps as a result, all sections are determined as Smart-Rendering sections.

  Based on the determination result in step S54, it is determined in step S55 whether or not the Re-Rendering section must be set in order to be within the target output bit rate. If it is determined in step S55 that the Re-Rendering section need not be set, in other words, if it is determined that all sections may be set as the Smart-Rendering section, processing such as re-encoding is performed. This means that it is determined that the bit streams of the respective sections are to be combined without executing the above, so that the process proceeds to step S58 and the bit stream combining process is executed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that the Re-Rendering section is set, the process proceeds to step S56. In step S56, for each section, a final setting process is performed to determine whether to set the Re-Rendering section or the Smart-Rendering section.

  Here, the setting process of the Re-Rendering section in step S56 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, but before that, the processes from step S51 to S56 will be described again with reference to FIGS. Add 13 and 14, it is assumed that sections A to C are objects to be edited (combined objects).

  Referring to FIG. 13, the sections A to C are all the Smart-Rendering sections (abbreviated as SR in the figure) without any section set as the Re-Rendering section in the processing of steps S51 to S53. Suppose that it is set.

  In such a case, since it is determined in step S53 that there is no Re-Rendering section, the process proceeds to step S54. If it is determined in step S54 that the Re-Rendering section should be newly included in the sections A to C by determining the Re-Rendering section based on the output bit rate, step S56 is performed. The process proceeds. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that the section A is set as a Re-Rendering section (abbreviated as RR in the figure) in the process of step S56.

  As described above, even a section once set as a Smart-Rendering (SR) section may be reset as a Re-Rendering (RR) section in subsequent processing.

  As another example, as will be described with reference to FIG. 14, among the sections A to C, only the section A is set as the Re-Rendering section by performing the processing of steps S51 to S53. If the section C is set as a Smart-Rendering section, it is determined in step S53 that there is a Re-Rendering section, and thus the process proceeds to step S56. Then, when the process in step S56 is executed, the section C may be newly set as a Re-Rendering section.

  In this way, the Re-Rendering section is set by performing the determination twice in the processing so far. The section set as the Re-Rendering section in the first determination is determined to be the Re-Rendering section in the second determination (the Re-Rendering section remains unchanged).

  Even if it is a section set to be a Smart-Rendering section in the first judgment, it may be judged to be a Re-Rendering section (changed to a Re-Rendering section) in the second judgment. is there.

  As described above, even if the Smart-Rendering section is set in the first determination, there is a section that is changed to the Re-Rendering section in the second determination. Therefore, the process of step S56, which is the second determination, is performed again after the first determination (even when the Re-Rendering section is set), and the process of resetting the Re-Rendering section is executed again. As described above, processing is performed in the present embodiment.

  With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, the setting process of the Re-Rendering section in step S56, which is the second determination process, will be described. First, in step S71, a section where Bsi <Bout is set as a Smart-Rendering section. Bsi and Bout are the same as described in the equation (4), Bsi is the bit rate (Mbps) of the bit stream to be edited, and Bout is the average bit of the bit stream after editing. Rate (target bit rate).

  That is, in step S71, the bit stream interval lower than the target average bit rate is set as a Smart-Rendering interval. This process is considered to have a low impact on other bitstreams when a bit stream with a low bit rate is combined (because the bit rate is low, the influence on the average bit rate of the combined bit stream is low). Therefore, such a bit stream with a low bit rate is a process for setting so as to be combined as it is without re-encoding.

  In step S72, a section where Bsi> Bsmax is set as a Re-Rendering section. This Bsmax is a preset constant. This Bsmax is a constant that satisfies Bsmax> Bout. The process in step S72 is a process of setting a section larger than the predetermined constant Bsmax as a Re-Rendering section. This process is a process for setting a bit stream considered to have a great influence on the average bit rate of the combined bit streams to a bit stream to be re-encoded.

  In other words, it is a process for setting a bit stream having a too high bit rate to be re-encoded and converted into a bit stream having a low bit rate. In this way, a bit stream having an excessively high bit rate is set to be re-encoded, so that the bit rate that the bit stream had can be distributed to other bit streams (thus, , Can increase the bit rate of other bitstreams).

  The processing of step S71 and step S72 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the threshold value Bsmax and the threshold value Bout are set as values that satisfy the relationship of Bsmax> Bout. Here, section A, section B, and section C will be described as examples of the bit stream to be processed. In FIG. 15, the height of each section (the vertical direction in the figure) represents the bit rate.

  Referring to FIG. 15, section A is a bit stream having a bit rate smaller than the threshold value Bout, and thus is set as a Smart-Rendering (SR) section by the process of step S71. Since the section B and the section C each have a bit rate higher than the threshold value Bout, neither the Smart-Rendering section nor the Re-Rendering section is set in the process of step S71.

  Referring to FIG. 15, the section C is a bit stream having a bit rate larger than the threshold value Bsmax, and is therefore set as a Re-Rendering (RR) section by the process of step S72.

  Referring to FIG. 15, the section B is a bit stream having a bit rate smaller than the threshold value Bsmax. Therefore, neither the Smart-Rendering section nor the Re-Rendering section is set in the process of step S72. Therefore, the section B is set as an unset section that is not set in either the Smart-Rendering section or the Re-Rendering section in the processing of Step S71 and Step S72. Such an unset section and the set section are set as either the Smart-Rendering section or the Re-Rendering section by the processing after Step S73.

  Since the section A has already been set as the Smart-Rendering section in the process of step S71 and is a bit stream having a bit rate smaller than the threshold value Bsmax, the section A remains the Smart-Rendering section. As in section A, a bit stream having a bit rate smaller than the threshold value Bout is always a bit stream having a bit rate smaller than the threshold value Bsmax. Therefore, the stream set as the SR section in the process of step S71 is The processing in step S72 (determination of whether or not the bit rate is higher than the threshold value Bsmax) may not be performed.

  In this way, each section of the bit stream to be combined is set to one of the Smart-Rendering section, the Re-Rendering section, or the unset section.

When such setting is performed, the process proceeds to step S73 (FIG. 9). In step S73, the sum of the lengths of the bitstreams set as the Smart-Rendering section in the process of step S71 (for example, bitstreams satisfying the conditions such as section A in FIG. 15) is calculated. When each bit stream set in the Smart-Rendering section is Lsr1, Lsr2,..., LsrM, the total Lsr is calculated based on the following equation (5).
Lsr = Lsr1 + Lsr2 + ... + LsrM (5)

Similarly, in step S74, the sum of the lengths of the bitstreams set as the Re-Rendering section in the process of step S72 (for example, bitstreams that satisfy the conditions as in section C in FIG. 15) is calculated. When each bit stream set in the Re-Rendering section is Lrr1, Lrr2,..., LrrN, the total Lrr is calculated based on the following equation (6).
Lrr = Lrr1 + Lrr2 + ... + LrrN (6)

  In this way, when the total sum of the Smart-Rendering section and the Re-Rendering section set in the processes of Step S71 and Step S72 is calculated, the process proceeds to Step S75. In step S75, it is determined whether or not there is a section that is not set in either the Smart-Rendering section or the Re-Rendering section, that is, an unset section (for example, a bit stream that satisfies the condition as section B in FIG. 15). To be judged.

If it is determined in step S75 that there is an unset section and a set section, the process proceeds to step S76. In step S76, a process is performed in which an unset section and a set section are processed. In step S76, the value Rdi is calculated. This value Rdi is calculated based on the following equation (7).
Rdi = (Lsi / Lsum) × (Bsi / Bout) (7)

  The value Rdi calculated based on the equation (7) will be described. In (Lsi / Lsum), which is the first item in equation (7), the length (Lsi) of the bit stream to be processed is the sum (Lsum) of the lengths of the bit streams before combining. What percentage is calculated.

  In the second item (Bsi / Bout) in equation (7), the bit rate (Bsi) of the bit stream to be processed is determined with respect to the average bit rate (Bout) of the combined bit streams. It is calculated whether it occupies only a proportion.

  The value Rdi calculated by multiplying the first term and the second term is related to the conditions to be satisfied by the combined bit rate (for example, the image quality (depending on the average bit rate) from the user side, and the combination. This is a value indicating the degree of influence to satisfy the processing time (which depends on α). For example, when the value Rdi is large, it indicates that the influence is large in the bit stream to be processed.

  For example, when the bit stream having a large value Rdi is set as the Smart-Rendering interval and when it is set as the Re-Rendering interval, the average bit rate (Bout) of the combined bit streams is different. it is conceivable that. In step S77, the values Rdi calculated in the process in step S76 are sorted in the order in which the influence is considered to be large (the order in which the value Rdi is large).

  In step S78, the total Lsr and the total Lrr are recalculated. When processing is performed in the order of steps S71 to S77 (that is, the order described above), in other words, when the processing of step S78 is performed for the first time, the section of the bitstream that is the target of processing in step S77 Are all set as a Re-Rendering section, and in such a state, the total Lsr and the total Lrr are recalculated.

  For example, as will be described with reference to FIG. 15 again, a section that is set as an unset section in the processes in steps S71 to S74, such as section B, is displayed when the process in step S78 is performed. Set as Rendering section. Therefore, when the process of step S78 is executed, all the bit streams (sections) to be combined are set to either the Smart-Rendering section or the Re-Rendering section.

When the recalculation of the total sum Lsr and the total sum Lrr is completed in step S78, the result is used and the processing in step S79 is executed. In step S79, it is determined whether or not the following relational expression (8) is satisfied.
Lsr + Lrr ≧ Lsum × α (8)

  In the condition (8), α is a value set by the user as described with reference to FIG. 6 and the like, and is a factor that determines the time for the bit stream combining process.

  If it is determined in step S79 that the relational expression (8) is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S80. In step S80, the section corresponding to the bit stream having a low value Rdi is reset to the Smart-Rendering section. By resetting in this way, one section set as the Re-Rendering section is changed to the Smart-Rendering section. The processing after step S78 is repeated for the state reset in this way.

  The processing in steps S78 to S80 will be described with reference to FIG. The uppermost part of FIG. 16 shows (Lsum × α). When the process in step S78 is performed for the first time, SR1 and SR2 are set in the Smart-Rendering section, and RR1, RR2, RR3, and RR4 are set in the Re-Rendering section. Suppose there is. Among RR1 to RR4, RR1 is a section set as a Re-Rendering section in step S72, and RR2 to RR4 are sections that are set as a Re-Rendering section because they are unset sections. To do. Further, it is assumed that the value Rdi increases in the order of RR2, RR3, and RR4.

  If the process in step S79 is performed in the state shown in the second row from the top in FIG. 16, it is determined as NO in step S79, and thus the process proceeds to step S80. In step 80, the section RR4 set in the Re-Rendering section is reset to the Smart-Rendering section (the reset section is referred to as SR4).

  The state when the process of step S79 is performed for the second time is the state shown in the third row of FIG. When RR4 set in the Re-Rendering section is reset to SR4 which is the Smart-Rendering section, the overall length (Lsr + Lrr) becomes longer, but in this state, the relational expression (8) is still present. Is not satisfied.

  Therefore, since it is determined as NO in step S79, the process proceeds to step S80. In step S80, this time, RR3 set in the Re-Rendering section is reset to the Smart-Rendering section (the reset section is referred to as SR3).

  The state when the process of step S79 is performed for the third time is the state shown in the fourth row of FIG. When RR3 set in the Re-Rendering section is reset to SR3 that is the Smart-Rendering section, the overall length (Lsr + Lrr) is increased, and the relational expression (8) is satisfied. Therefore, YES is determined in step S79, and the process proceeds to step S81.

  The process to step S81 may come when it is determined in step S75 that there is no unset section. In step S81, an average bit rate calculation process is performed when the re-encoding process is executed. This average bit rate calculation process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S101, the total sum Lsrsum of the bit stream set with the Smart-Rendering section is calculated. This total sum Lsrsum is basically calculated based on Equation (5). This total Lsrsum may be re-calculated or recalculated immediately before it is determined YES in step S79 (FIG. 9), or the total Lsrsum recalculated in step S78 may be used. .

In the process of step S101, when the total length (total Lsrsum) of the bit stream set with the Smart-Rendering section is calculated, the average bit rate for the total length of the Smart-Rendering section is calculated in step S102. The average bit rate (referred to as Bsravg) in step S102 is calculated based on the following equation (9).
Bsravg = (Lsr1 / Lsrsum) × Bsr1 +
... + (LsrM / Lsrsum) x BsrN (9)

  In Expression (9), Lsr1, Lsr2,..., LsrM indicate the length of the corresponding bit stream, and Bsr1, Bsr2,..., BsrM indicate the bit rate of the corresponding bit stream. Lsrsum is the value calculated in step S101. By performing the calculation based on Expression (9), the average bit rate of the entire bit stream set as the Smart-Rendering section is calculated.

  When the process related to the Smart-Rendering section is completed, the process related to the Re-Rendering section is started in step S103 and subsequent steps. In step S103, the total Lrrsum of the bit stream set with the Re-Rendering section is calculated. This total sum Lrrsum is basically calculated based on Equation (6). This total Lrrsum may be used as the total Lrr recalculated in Step S78 immediately before being determined YES in Step S79 (FIG. 9), or may be recalculated. .

In step S104, an average bit rate (referred to as Brravg) in the Re-Rendering section is calculated. The calculation of the average bit rate (referred to as Brravg) in step S104 is performed based on the following equation (10).
Brravg = (Lsum / Lrrsum) × Bout− (Lsrsum / Lrrsum) × Bsravg (10)

  As shown in Equation (10), the average bit rate for the Re-Rendering interval, that is, the average bit rate targeted for re-encoding, considers the average bit rate (Bsravg) in the Smart-Rendering interval. Is set.

  The average bit rate Brravg calculated based on Expression (10) is set in the encoding unit 94 as a bit rate for encoding in the encoding unit 94 (FIG. 4) in step S105.

  When the bit rate at the time of re-encoding is calculated in this way, the process proceeds to step S57 (FIG. 8), and the re-encoding process or the bit stream combining process is executed.

  As described above, in the present invention, when moving images are combined, the bit stream to be combined as it is and the bit stream to be combined after re-encoding are separated at the stage before actually starting the combination, Start the join process. Therefore, the time required for the combining process can be shortened as compared with the case where all the bit streams to be combined are re-encoded.

  Further, according to the present invention, the bit stream to be combined after re-encoding can be determined in consideration of the image quality. For example, a bit stream whose image quality may be deteriorated is set as a re-encoded bit stream (a bit stream in a Re-Rendering section), and bit streams that do not want to deteriorate image quality are combined as they are. It can be set as (Smart-Rendering section bitstream).

  In the above-described embodiment, the bit stream (the bit stream in the Re-Rendering section) that is to be combined after re-encoding is determined through a plurality of processes. Referring to FIGS. 8 to 9 again, for example, in step S52, a Re-Rendering section is set based on the Difficulty, and in Step S72, the Re-Rendering section is set based on the maximum value Bsmax of the average bit rate. In step S76 to S80, the Re-Rendering section is set based on the value Rdi.

  By sequentially performing each of these processes, the Re-Rendering section may be set (that is, the Re-Rendering section is set as described above), or only one process (for example, in step S72) A Re-Rendering section may be set only by processing. Of course, the Re-Rendering section may be set by a combination of these processes, and the order of the processes in that case may be set as appropriate so that the editing process is optimally performed. .

  The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware having respective functions, but can also be executed by software. When a series of processing is executed by software, various functions can be executed by installing a computer in which the programs that make up the software are installed in dedicated hardware, or by installing various programs. For example, it is installed from a recording medium in a general-purpose personal computer (for example, the PC 13 in FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording medium is distributed to provide a program to the user separately from the PC 13, and includes a magnetic disk 51 (including a flexible disk) on which the program is recorded, an optical disk 52 (CD-ROM). (Including Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), magneto-optical disk 53 (including MD (Mini-Disc) (registered trademark)), or semiconductor memory 54, etc. In addition, it is configured by a hard disk including a ROM 32 storing a program and a storage unit 38 provided to the user in a state of being incorporated in a computer in advance.

  In this specification, the steps for describing the program provided by the medium are performed in parallel or individually in accordance with the described order, as well as the processing performed in time series, not necessarily in time series. The process to be executed is also included.

  Further, in this specification, the system represents the entire apparatus constituted by a plurality of apparatuses.

It is a figure which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the internal structural example of PC. It is a block diagram which shows the function of PC. It is a block diagram showing functions related to editing It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process at the time of setting the bit stream of a joint object. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen of a display. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process in connection with an edit. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the detail of the joint process in step S38. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the detail of the setting process of the Re-Rendering area in step S56. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the detail of the calculation process of the average bit rate in step S81. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the coupling | bonding of a bit stream. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part. It is a figure for demonstrating how to set a Re-Rendering area or a Smart-Rendering area. It is a figure for demonstrating how to set a Re-Rendering area or a Smart-Rendering area. It is a figure for demonstrating how to set a Re-Rendering area or a Smart-Rendering area. It is a figure for demonstrating how to set a Re-Rendering area or a Smart-Rendering area.

Explanation of symbols

  11 video camera, 12 recording medium, 13 PC, 14 network, 31 CPU, 32 ROM, 33 RAM, 36 input unit, 37 output unit, 38 storage unit, 39 communication unit, 71 playback unit, 72 display unit, 73 control unit , 91, 92 switch, 93 decoding unit, 94 encoding unit

Claims (6)

In an editing device that edits multiple bitstreams as editing targets,
Referencing information accompanying the bitstream, obtaining a Difficulty, and based on the value of the Difficulty, determining means for determining whether to re-encode the bitstream;
Re-encoding means for re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded by the determining means at a set bit rate; the bit stream re-encoded by the re-encoding means; and the determining means An editing apparatus comprising: combining means for combining the bitstreams determined not to be re-encoded according to the above. If it is determined by the determination means that all the bitstreams to be edited are not to be re-encoded, it is determined whether or not the bit rate of the bitstream after editing does not exceed the target bitrate. 2. The editing according to claim 1, further comprising: a second determination unit configured to determine whether or not all the bitstreams to be edited can be edited without being re-encoded. apparatus. When the bit rate of the bit stream determined not to be re-encoded by the determining unit is equal to or higher than a threshold value related to a preset bit rate, the re-setting unit is further provided to reset the bit stream to be re-encoded. The editing apparatus according to claim 1. In the editing method of the editing apparatus for editing a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets,
A determination step of determining whether or not to re-encode the bit stream based on a value of the Difficulty by referring to information accompanying the bit stream;
A re-encoding step of re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step at a set bit rate; and the bit stream re-encoded in the process of the re-encoding step; And a combining step of combining the bitstreams determined not to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step. An editing device program for editing a plurality of bitstreams,
A determination step of determining whether or not to re-encode the bit stream based on a value of the Difficulty by referring to information accompanying the bit stream;
A re-encoding step of re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step at a set bit rate; and the bit stream re-encoded in the process of the re-encoding step; A combining step of combining the bitstreams determined not to be re-encoded in the processing of the determining step. A program for an editing device that edits a plurality of bitstreams as editing targets,
A determination step of determining whether or not to re-encode the bit stream based on a value of the Difficulty by referring to information accompanying the bit stream;
A re-encoding step of re-encoding the bit stream determined to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step at a set bit rate; and the bit stream re-encoded in the process of the re-encoding step; And a combining step of combining the bitstreams determined not to be re-encoded in the process of the determining step. A recording medium on which a computer-readable program is recorded.

Images