Definition: blocking artifacts

A distortion that appears in compressed video material as abnormally large pixel blocks. Also called "macroblocking," it occurs when the encoder cannot keep up with the allocated bandwidth. It is especially visible with fast motion sequences or quick scene changes.

Video uses lossy compression, and the higher the compression rate, the more content is removed. At decompression, the output of certain decoded blocks makes surrounding pixels appear averaged together and look like larger blocks. As TVs get larger, blocking and other artifacts become more noticeable. See artifact and pixelated.

Before and After

The lines at the edge of the original frame are used to point to the blocking artifacts, which are removed with Algolith's MPEG Noise Reduction system. Both images are enlarged to show details. (Image courtesy of Algolith inc.)