Online smoothness with dropping partial data based on advanced video coding stream

Most studies of smoothing video stream compute the required bit rate of video transmission to satisfy all the transmitted data. In this paper, our proposed online smoothing with tolerable data dropping algorithm can adjust the bit rate as smooth as possible. Several multimedia encoding schemes, such as advanced video coding (AVC), can support partial data dropping to adapt to available bandwidth network. The AVC stream can be adapted by smoothing algorithm to ensure video quality for a given set of constraints where these constraints may be either static after the session set up or may dynamically change over the session duration. Our algorithm is based on the online minimum variance bandwidth allocation algorithm to look ahead a window of frames, dynamically adjusting the required bit rate such that ensuring smoothness when the buffer encounters underflow or overflow for video stream. Furthermore, we add the scheme of data dropping into this algorithm to increase the possibility of smoothing bit rates. The experimental results show the peak rate, the average ratio of dropped data, and the coefficient of variation for five test sequences with different content characteristics such as the average frame size, the peak/mean ratio of frame size, and the average frame bit rate. Experimental parameters are varied by window sizes and tolerable dropping ratios. The algorithm can significantly reduce the peak rate and the coefficient of variation when the transmitted packets are allowed dropping by a user-defined dropping ratio.     

A systematic rate controller for MPEG-4 FGS video streaming

This paper proposes a systematic rate controller (SRC) for content-aware streaming of MPEG-4 FGS video over the Internet. An active layer dropping technique is proposed to provide both coarse-grain and fine-granularity scalability of smooth quality adaptation to bandwidth fluctuations and bit-rate variations of streamed video over a general time-scale. The smooth quality adaptation is realized through the mode and state transition of a state machine that implements the SRC. The SRC effectively uses available bandwidth and client buffer by forward-shifting the FGS video stream. It provides protection to video segments with important content by introducing a content-aware priority-based layer model for the MPEG-4 FGS video stream. RID="*" ID="*" The work reported in this paper was performed when this author was working at Microsoft Research Asia as a research intern.     

端到端MPEG-4 FGS视频TCP友好的平滑传输

着重研究了Internet上MPEG-4 FGS(fine grained scalable)视频流的自适应平滑传输,其主要目的在于,在网络带宽变化的情况下,提供稳定的视频回放质量.提出了一种新的基于TFRC(TCP-friendly rate control)的MPEG-4 FGS端到端视频流传输系统框架,在此框架的基础上,首先假设完整的可用带宽变化已知,并且提出了一种离线的自适应平滑算法.此后,给出一种基于改进的ARAR(autoregressive autoregressive)预测技术的在线自适应平滑算法.最后,以NS-2为实验平台进行了模拟实验.模拟实验表明,提出的离线和在线自适应平滑算法可以充分利用可用网络带宽,并且能够在可用网络带宽持续波动的情况下保证接收方的回放尽可能地平稳,从而达到获得最佳视觉效果的目的.     

MPEG-4 FGS架构的视频编码器的研究与应用

文章介绍了一种基于MPEG-4的精细的可伸缩性编码(FGS)架构的视频编码器的软硬件架构。MPEG-4的FGS是为Internet视频流应用的需要最近发展出来的一种有效的视频编码方案。并结合FGS算法的特点,选择FGS算法中最适当的数据存储类型,节省了大量的外存带宽。     

FGS视频均等质量流化算法

细粒度扩展编码(FGS:Fine-Granularity-Scalability)由于具有很强的灵活性和较好的视频流化性能已经被MPEG-4和H.26L等标准所采用。论文在相关研究的基础上,采用了基于滑动窗口的算法来进行FGS视频的均等质量流化。该算法通过FGS的失真模型,使用二分法对当前窗口中的所有帧进行速率分配。实验表明,该算法可以较好地实现速率的优化分配,使连续图像质量的变化更加平滑。     

一种基于单环结构的扩展基本层FGS视频编码方法

可分级编码是解决Internet流视频应用中网络带宽不断波动的一种有效方法，所以MPEG-4标准中采用了FGS(fine granularity scalability)编码方法来获得精细颗粒可分级能力，但其代价是编码效率的下降。为解决此问题，现提出在增强层中采用运动补偿的MC加FGS(motion compensation加FGS)结构，用于去除FGS方案中增强层在时域上的冗余，以提高FGS方案编码效率的双环和单环两种方法。在比较了两种结构各自的优缺点后，选定了一种复杂度小、实现简单、效率高的单环结构，并提出了对单环结构的缺陷进行改善的方法。实验结果表明，该方法的编码性能优于MPEG-4 FGS方法。     

Scalable protection for MPEG-4 fine granularity scalability

The newly adopted MPEG-4 fine granularity scalability (FGS) video coding standard offers easy and flexible adaptation to varying network bandwidths and different application needs. Encryption for FGS should preserve such adaptation capabilities and enable intermediate stages to process encrypted data directly without decryption. In this paper, we propose two novel encryption algorithms for MPEG-4 FGS that meet these requirements. The first algorithm encrypts an FGS stream (containing both the base and the enhancement layers) into a single access layer and preserves the original fine granularity scalability and error resilience performance in an encrypted stream. The second algorithm encrypts an FGS stream into multiple quality layers divided according to either peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) or bit rates, with lower quality layers being accessible and reusable by a higher quality layer of the same type, but not vice versa. Both PSNR and bit-rate layers are supported simultaneously so a layer of either type can be selected on the fly without decryption. The base layer for the second algorithm may be unencrypted to allow free view of the content at low-quality or content-based search of a video database without decryption. Both algorithms are fast, error-resilient, and have negligible compression overhead. The same approach can be applied to other scalable multimedia formats.     

基于MPEG-4 FGS的视频流量模型

目前MPEG-4精细颗粒度可伸缩性(Fine Graruldty Scalability，FGS)编码视频正成为视频流服务的一种主要的业务流，因此，针对MPEG-4FGS视频流量进行建模对于网络性能仿真和通信网络设计具有十分重要的意义。该文首先介绍了MPEG-4FGS编码原理，然后对MPEG-4FGS视频流量的统计特性进行了分析，在此基础上，提出了基于MPEG-4FGS的视频流量模型。实验结果表明，该模型能较好地拟合原视频帧序列大小，且能根据网络带宽的动态变化进行适应的码率分配。     

MPEG-4 FGS流媒体的常质量GOP带宽分配机制

分析MPEG-4FGS的位平面R-D模型，提出一种基于场景的常质量GOP带宽分配机制及GOP带宽分配的静态算法和动态算法，以保证同一场景内连续GOP的质量稳定．实验结果表明：常质量GOP带宽分配机制能够平滑一场景内连续GOP的质量，并且连续帧的质量波动也较小．     

Efficient algorithms for computation of the loss curve of video sources

The loss curve of a video source characterizes the loss rate of the video stream generated by the source as a function of the allocated buffer size for a given transmission rate. The loss curve is useful in the optimal allocation of resources when the video stream is transmitted over a packet network, so that the desired tradeoff can be reached among the loss rate, bandwidth and the buffer space to be allocated in the network. We present an algorithm for computation of the entire loss curve of an elementary video stream. In contrast to earlier algorithms which employ statistical approaches, our algorithm is deterministic and computes the exact loss curve of the video stream. The algorithm exploits the piecewise linearity of the loss curve and computes only the points at which the slope of the loss curve changes. We also present an extension of the algorithm to MPEG-2 transport streams. The efficiency of the algorithm is demonstrated by results from several example video streams. For example, the algorithm was able to compute the entire loss curve of a 2-h elementary video stream in approximately 11 s on a Sun Ultra-2 workstation.     

精细可伸缩性视频编码算法的研究

在MPEG-4的视频流化框架中提出了精细可伸缩性视频编码FGS(FineGranularityScalable)算法,增强了码流对带宽的适应性和抗误码能力,但是在FGS增强层编码中使用的是栅格扫描方式,当大多数宏块被解码时,整帧图像的质量能够得到有效的提高,但是当某一层的码流不可用时,只有图象帧的上边缘区域得到增强,而不能有效地增强图象帧的感兴趣区域—图像的中间部分,该文提出了一种水环扫描方式(WaterRingScanning),先编码图像帧的感兴趣区域,然后再编码图像的其它部分,这样就能有效地提高解码后图像的主观质量,而且保留了FGS原有的各种优良性能。     

基于MPEG-4的FGS视频压缩技术的研究

精细可伸缩性视频编码FGS(Fine Granular Scalable)是MPEG-4标准的视频化框架中的关键性的编码技术。FGS编码方法生成两个视频流：基本层码流和增强层码流。基本层码流是必须传输的，并且码率低；增强层码流则根据带宽的实际情况来决定传多少，甚至不传，这种分级性的编码方式和传输方式使视频流有较好的鲁棒性。     

对具有帧间相关性的分层视频码流的非均匀错误保护

在分层视频码流的网络实时传输中,非均匀错误保护（UEP）技术已经被广泛地研究。至今为止,几乎所有的UEP相关工作都是针对具有链式结构的单一码流。但是,在一些实际的图像及视频编码系统（例如MPEG-4）产生的码流中,都存在着更为复杂的树型相关性结构。针对这种具有树型相关性结构的码流提出了一种打包方案,并在此基础上提供了两种带宽分配方案。试验中,采用MPEG-4FGS作为信源编码器。试验结果表明,采用灵活的帧间自适应带宽分配方案可以有效地提高系统性能。     

基于预取的流视频带宽适应性传输算法

IP网络带宽的动态特性是流视频要面临的关键问题.可伸缩编码的视频具有带宽适应性,但由于其每一层编码通常是变比特率的,那么在视频传输中,为迎合动态传输带宽,如何裁减这种分层的变比特率视频,并极大化一定的目标性能,需要传输优化.针对上述问题,提出了一个预取或缓冲优化的流视频带宽适应性传输框架,将裁减策略放到一个窗口来考虑,解决了窗口内的最小裁减量问题,其带宽适应性粒度在理论上可以细化到"比特位",并为其他裁减算法提供综合优化的计算平台.     

一种基于中间视点的多视点立体视频FGS可分级方案

基于MPEG-4标准FGS可分级技术,提出一种将FGS可分级、视点可分级相结合的多视点立体视频可分级算法。该算法中,中间视点作为基本层进行编码,各视点均预测自中间视点,并产生各相应视点的FGS增强层。编码器结构中,分为I、P、B帧三种情况进行讨论,并针对这三种情况进行改进。所提方案具有灵活、广泛的可分级性能,能适应多种不同的传输需求。实验结果验证了该方案的多视点可分级性。     

一种适用于DVB Over IP的传输流传送方法

对DVB Over IP应用来说，如何传送用可变比特率（VBR）压缩的MPEG-2传输流格式的视频是一个重要的问题。其中以传统的恒定速率（CBR）方式传送VBR视频时，接收端需要较大的缓存和开始延时时间；而另一种新的采用PCR协助的恒定速率（PCBR）传送方式，则是以较高的传输速率和以牺牲码率的稳定性来减少缓存需求。为了平衡传输速率和接收端缓存需求，在PCBR基础上，提出了一种称为IPCBR的改进的视频流传送方法。通过实验证明，该新方法与传统的CBR传送方式相比，不仅可降低缓存需求，而且与PCBR方式相比，又具有较高的稳定性和带宽利用率，并克服了PCBR丢包率较高的问题。同时由于该算法特别针对DVB Over IP，具有较强的实用性。且有利于Internet TV业务拓展。     

Partitioning of Multiple Fine-Grained Scalable Video Sequences Concurrently Streamed to Heterogeneous Clients

Fine-grained scalable (FGS) coding of video streams has been proposed in the literature to accommodate client heterogeneity. FGS streams are composed of two layers: a base layer, which provides basic quality, and a single enhancement layer that adds incremental quality refinements proportional to number of bits received. The base layer uses nonscalable coding which is more efficient in terms of compression ratio than scalable coding used in the enhancement layer. Thus for coding efficiency larger base layers are desired. Larger base layers, however, disqualify more clients from getting the stream. In this paper, we experimentally analyze this coding efficiency gap using diverse video sequences. For FGS sequences, we show that this gap is a non-increasing function of the base layer rate. We then formulate an optimization problem to determine the base layer rate of a single sequence to maximize the average quality for a given client bandwidth distribution. We design an optimal and efficient algorithm (called FGSOPT) to solve this problem. We extend our formulation to the multiple-sequence case, in which a bandwidth-limited server concurrently streams multiple FGS sequences to diverse sets of clients. We prove that this problem is NP-Complete. We design a branch-and-bound algorithm (called MFGSOPT) to compute the optimal solution. MFGSOPT runs fast for many typical cases because it intelligently cuts the search space. In the worst case, however, it has exponential time complexity. We also propose a heuristic algorithm (called MFGS) to solve the multiple-sequence problem. We experimentally show that MFGS produces near-optimal results and it scales to large problems: it terminates in less than 0.5 s for problems with more than 30 sequences. Therefore, MFGS can be used in dynamic systems, where the server periodically adjusts the structure of FGS streams to suit current client distributions.     

The MPEG-4 fine-grained scalable video coding method for multimediastreaming over IP

Real-time streaming of audiovisual content over the Internet is emerging as an important technology area in multimedia communications. Due to the wide variation of available bandwidth over Internet sessions, there is a need for scalable video coding methods and (corresponding) flexible streaming approaches that are capable of adapting to changing network conditions in real time. In this paper, we describe a new scalable video-coding framework that has been adopted recently by the MPEG-4 video standard. This new MPEG-4 video approach, which is known as Fine-Granular-Scalability (FGS), consists of a rich set of video coding tools that support quality (i.e., SNR), temporal, and hybrid temporal-SNR scalabilities. Moreover, one of the desired features of the MPEG-J FGS method is its simplicity and flexibility in supporting unicast and multicast streaming applications over IF     

视频编码中考虑模式选择的位率优化控制

本文在传统位率控制方法的基础上提出一种新算法,即基于宏块的最佳位率控制算法．主要思想是在考虑还宽,比特率和缓冲区大小的同时,考虑不同宏块模式的选择对位率的影响,文中给出了一些相关结果并将其与传统方法所得数据相比较,结果表明在多数位率条件下用本算法得到的ＰＳＮＲ比传统方法要好．