A simplified subjective video quality assessment method based on signal detection theory

Proceedings of: Picture Coding Symposium (PCS 2012). Krakow, Poland, May 7-9, 2012.A simplified protocol and associated metrics based on Signal Detection Theory (SDT) for subjective Video Quality Assessment (VQA) is proposed with the aim of filling the gap existing between the lack of discrimination abilities of objective quality estimates, specially when perceptually motivated processing methods are involved and the costly normative subjective quality tests. The proposed protocol employs a reduced number of assessors and provides a quality ranking of the methods being evaluated. It is intended for providing the rapid experimental turn around necessary for developing algorithms. We have validated our proposal performing the test on a well-known result for the video coding community: namely, that the inclusion of an in-loop deblocking filter provides a quality enhancement. The results obtained corroborate this fact. A software interface to design and administrate the test is also made publicly available.This work has been partially supported by the regional project CCG10-UC3M/TIC-5304 (Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid - UC3M) and by National Grant TEC2011-26807 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Publicad