Implementation of a Frame Rate Up-Conversion Filter

Abstract: When providing video for devices that support different frame rates, some kind of frame rate conversion has to be done. Simple methods such as frame repetition, frame averaging and frame dropping are commonly used to change the frame rate, but these methods introduce jerky motions or blurring artifacts. To avoid these artifacts, many algorithms have been developed to approximate new frames based on estimated movements between successive frames (motion compensation). This thesis summarizes a selection of previously proposed motion compensation techniques for frame rate up-conversion, and presents a prototype implementation that uses a subset of the described methods. The prototype lacks a number of features present in modern frame rate conversion tools, but objective evaluations show an improved result compared to frame repetition and frame averaging. Subjective evaluations show that even though the prototype performs well in many cases, the artifacts are more disturbing than those introduced by simple methods. The results are analyzed with a focus on specifc unwanted artifacts, their causes and possible ways to minimize them.