An embodiment is configured to calculate a perceptual masking factor at a pixel location at a block boundary of the image, calculate a parameter for a filter at the pixel location at the block boundary, and filter the image around the pixel location at the block boundary employing the filter with the calculated parameter. The perceptual masking factor is formed as a product of a background activity masking map and a luminance masking map. The filter includes a parameter that is selected in view of a quality of experience performance measure for the image at the pixel location at the block boundary of the image.