Video Streaming Over Wireless Packet Networks: An Occupancy-Based Rate Adaptation Perspective

• Published in: IEEE transactions on circuits and systems for video technology Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1017 - 1027
• Main Authors: Hassan, M., Krunz, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.2007; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Adaptive forward error correction (FEC); Applied sciences; Automatic repeat request; Bit error rate; Bit rate; channel-code optimization; Coding, codes; Computational modeling; Constraint optimization; Delay; Detection, estimation, filtering, equalization, prediction; Exact sciences and technology; Fluctuations; Forward error correction; Information, signal and communications theory; Mathematical models; playback buffer control; Signal and communications theory; Signal, noise; source rate control; Streaming media; Studies; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teletraffic; Throughput; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); wireless channels; Optimal systems; playback buffer control; Wireless telecommunication; Video signal; source rate control; Information rate; Adaptive control; Adaptive method; Optimization; Packet radio networks; Coding; Traffic control; wireless channels; channel-code optimization; Streaming; Flow rate regulation; Two channel system; Teletraffic; Buffer system; Information transmission; Transmission time; Image quality; Simulation; Traffic management; Adaptive forward error correction (FEC); Telecommunication channels; Forward error correction
• ISSN: 1051-8215; 1558-2205
• DOI: 10.1109/TCSVT.2007.903128

The perceived video quality in a wireless streaming application strongly depends on the channel's dynamics and the fluctuations of the source bit rate. In this paper, we introduce two channel-adaptive rate control schemes for slowly and fast varying channels, respectively. Both schemes account for the playback buffer occupancy in the joint optimization of the source rate and channel-code forward error correction parameters. For the first scheme, we assume that the channel state does not change during the transmission of a video frame. We optimize the channel-code parameters and maximize the per-frame source rate subject to satisfying a constraint on the probability of delivering the next video frame within a buffer-occupancy-dependent critical time (T c ). For the second scheme, we allow the channel state to change within the frame delivery period, and we compute the optimal system parameters and maximize the source rate while satisfying a constraint on the mean frame delivery time. Our schemes aim at maintaining the occupancy of the playback buffer around a predefined threshold value, hence ensuring continuous video playback. Simulation and numerical investigations are carried out to study the interactions among various key parameters and verify the adequacy of the analysis.