We describe a new approach to the detection and classification of scene breaks in video sequences. Our methods can detect and classify a variety of scene breaks, including cuts, fades, dissolves and wipes, even in sequences involving significant motion. We use a feature-based approach, and detect the appearance of intensity edges far from previous edges. A global motion computation is used to handle camera or object motion. The algorithms we propose withstand compression artifacts such as those introduced by JPEG and MPEG, even at very high compression rates. Experimental evidence demonstrates that our method can detect and classify scene breaks that are difficult to detect with conventional approaches. An initial implementation runs at about 2 frames per second on a Sun workstation.
Source code for the algorithm is available on an "as is" basis. The code and algorithm may be freely used for research or experimental purposes. Any for-profit use requires explicit permission from the authors.