FrameBupdates

FrameBupdates is a concept in computer graphics and streaming that describes a method for updating rendered frames by transmitting only the parts of a frame that have changed since the previous frame. The idea mirrors delta encoding used in other domains but applies specifically to frame buffers and compositor workflows. The aim is to reduce bandwidth and processing load in systems that render and transmit frames across a network or between processes.

Origin and scope: FrameBupdates emerged in discussions around cloud gaming, remote desktops, and real-time visualization during the 2010s. It has been described in theoretical terms as an approach complementary to full-frame refresh and tile-based rendering, offering finer-grained updates and potential end-to-end latency improvements when combined with fast decoding and tiling.

Technical approach: The core mechanism involves dividing the output frame into tiles or regions, detecting which tiles changed between frames, and encoding these deltas for transmission. Metadata includes region coordinates, timestamps, and region-level quality or compression settings. Receivers reassemble incoming updates into the local frame buffer, sometimes applying error concealment if packets are lost. Optional compression and rate-adaptation are common features.

Applications and challenges: FrameBupdates is discussed as a technique for cloud gaming, remote desktop, and live collaborative visualization. Benefits include reduced bandwidth and smoother updates under modest network conditions, while drawbacks include metadata overhead, computational cost of delta calculation, and sensitivity to latency; standardization and interoperability remain theoretical concerns.

Note: FrameBupdates is not a formal standard in any widely adopted specification as of now. It is described here as a conceptual framework and subject of ongoing research and speculative implementations.