Digital video quality is always an issue after the processing of data on a storage unit and the transfer of the recorded material onto a computer. Even if chances of deterioration are lower with digital materials, there were cases when digital video quality was impaired during these operations. Some applications even require an evaluation of the digital video quality.

Normally, according to expert criteria, digital video quality has to be evaluated on various video sequences from the original database. From this point of view, 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. Thus, by working with mathematical models, you can determine digital video quality with a certain degree of approximation. When such data is introduced in a computer program, it can then be measured and reported objectively.

Peak-signal-to-noise ratio or simple signal-to-noise ratio are the traditional ways of determining digital video quality; 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. Such tests are usually impractical and time consuming, and they have no relevance for the average consumer.

As for subjective digital video quality this is actually the viewer’s opinion on a video that has passed through processing. Normally, a trained expert should judge the parameters, yet it is common practice to take a group of experiments and show them several video sequences. The evaluation is performed per sequence and the reactions and opinions are recorded for analysis. Normally, quality digital video camera is superior to analog videos because of the higher number of pixels. And the quality is all the more relevant for larger visuals than for smaller ones.