1. A method for performing motion estimation, comprising: selecting, by a motion estimation module, a motion vector centering for a current block in a search area of at least one reference picture, wherein selecting the motion vector centering comprises collocating a center of said search area at a distance displaced from a top left position of said current block, where said distance is derived from a Search Area Center Vector (SACV); calculating, by the motion estimation module, a matching cost for each of a plurality of candidate motion vectors derived from said search area, wherein said calculating said matching cost comprises estimating a Lagrangian multiplier, and further, wherein said Lagrangian multiplier is estimated using quantization parameter information from a plurality of macroblocks of at least one previously coded picture; and outputting, by the motion estimation module, at least one of said plurality of candidate motion vectors based on said matching cost associated with each of said plurality of candidate motion vectors to a main coding loop of an encoder; wherein the motion estimation module performs the selecting step, the calculating step, and the outputting step independently of motion vectors calculated by the main coding loop, and without receiving motion vector information from the main coding loop.