Comparative rate-distortion performance of multiple description coding for real-time audiovisual communication over the Internet

• Published in: IEEE transactions on communications Vol. 54; no. 4; pp. 625 - 636
• Main Authors: Moo Young Kim, Kleijn, W.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.04.2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Audiovisual; Automatic repeat request; Channel coding; Channels; Coding; Coding, codes; Delay; Delay effects; description scalar quantizers; description vector quantization; design; Encoding; error correction; Exact sciences and technology; Forward error correction; h.264/avc; Image coding; Image processing; information theory; Information, signal and communications theory; Interconnected networks; Internet; IP (Internet Protocol); Laboratories; lattice; Mathematical models; multimedia communication; Networks and services in france and abroad; packet-switched networks; protection; Rate-distortion; Real time; recovery techniques; Signal and communications theory; source coding; Streaming media; Switching and signalling; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Performance evaluation; Packet switching; Parameter estimation; Source coding; Two channel system; Rate distortion theory; Transmission channel; Data transmission; Multimedia communication; Channel coding; Channel estimation; Forward error correction; Delay time; Error correction; Internet; Transmission loss; Information theory
• ISSN: 0090-6778; 1558-0857; 1558-0857
• DOI: 10.1109/TCOMM.2006.873071

To facilitate real-time audiovisual communication through the Internet, forward error correction (FEC) and multiple description coding (MDC) can be used as low-delay packet-loss recovery techniques. We use both a Gilbert channel model and data obtained from real IP connections to compare the rate-distortion performance of different variants of FEC and MDC. Using identical overall rates with stringent delay constraints, we find that side-distortion optimized MDC generally performs better than Reed-Solomon-based FEC. If the channel condition is known from feedback, then channel-optimized MDC can be used to exploit this information, resulting in significantly improved performance. Our results confirm that two-independent-channel transmission is preferred to single-channel transmission, both for FEC and MDC.