When transferring and processing stored material from a camcorder disk to a computer, users often worry about the digital video quality. The problem comes from the fact that digital video quality can be distorted or impaired during processing, even if the incidence rate for deterioration is much lower as compared to analog videos for example. At present, a lot of emphasis is put on the possibility to evaluate digital video quality for a number of applications.

According to expert criteria, you can evaluate the digital video quality by analyzing different sequences from the database. From this perspective, the performance of a certain system depends on the dynamic features of the input video signal, which includes the spatial and the amount of motion in the video. The objective approximation of digital video quality is performed by mathematical models based on metrics. The objectivity of the analysis only results when you introduce the data into a computer program to achieve the actual measurement.

Among the traditional ways of determining digital video quality we can mention the peak signal-to-noise ratio or the simple signal-to-noise ratio; both methods are objective and they are relevant and useful for multimedia purposes. Sometimes several other tests are necessary before the digital video quality for compression-decompression can be determined. The average consumer will never perform such time consuming tests; they are only used by professionals and strictly for specific tasks.

As for subjective digital video quality this is actually the viewer’s opinion on a video that has passed through processing. Normally, some parameters have to be followed, but there are other procedures available too, such as exposing a group of viewers to a sequence of images. Their opinions or reactions are then recorded and the average results from the evaluation of each sequence in particular. Normally, digital video quality is superior to analog videos because of the higher number of pixels. And you can tell the difference a lot better when exposed to a larger visual.