Performance Analysis of Depth Intra-Coding in 3D-HEVC

The depth maps intra-frame prediction of 3D High Efficiency Video Coding (3D-HEVC) inherits all texture encoding techniques provided by HEVC and provides new coding tools for depth map predictions. These tools comprise algorithms, such as bipartition modes, intra-picture skip, and DC-only. This paper details these tools and shows how they work together with the original HEVC algorithms in the depth map intra-frame prediction for allowing high-efficiency encoding. Besides, this paper analyzes the encoding time and the encoding mode distribution of the intra-frame prediction tools over different quantization scenarios. We aim to provide support for upcoming works on depth map encoding, including complexity reduction and control, real-time embedded systems implementations, and even the development of improved tools to encode depth maps.