Quality degradative reversible data embedding using pixel replacement

Conventionally, reversible data embedding methods aim at maintaining high output image quality while sacrificing carrier capacity. Recently, as a new trend, some researchers exploited reversible data embedding techniques to severely degrade image quality. In this paper, a novel high carrier capacity data embedding technique is proposed to achieve quality degradation. An efficient pixel value estimation method called checkerboard based prediction is proposed and exploited to realize data embedding while achieving scrambling effect. Here, locations of the predicted pixels are vacated to embed information while degrading the image quality. Basic performance of the proposed method is verified through experiments using various standard test images. In the best case scenario, carrier capacity of 7.31 bpp is achieved while the image is severely degraded.