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Double compression

Definition

The artefact introduced when a video that has already been compressed is re-compressed. Each compression cycle degrades quality and leaves statistical signatures in the DCT coefficient histograms that differ from single-compression originals.

Related terms

Bitrate anomaly
A departure from the expected relationship between scene complexity and compressed file size. Sudden drops, plateaux, or spikes in the per-second bitrate...
Hash verification
Calculating a cryptographic hash (MD5 or SHA-256) of a file and comparing it to a previously recorded reference value. If the hashes...
I-frame (intra-coded frame)
A video frame that is encoded entirely from its own pixel data, without reference to any other frame. I-frames mark the start...
P-frame (predictive frame)
A frame encoded as a set of changes relative to a preceding reference frame. P-frames are smaller than I-frames because they only...
Re-recording artefact
A visual or statistical signature introduced by pointing a camera at a screen playing back footage. Includes moiré patterns, screen reflections, temporal...

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