Per-packet rate adaptation for wireless video

Streaming video over error-prone wireless channels is a challenge as the dynamic network conditions and slow adaptation to channel degradations may affect the quality of the streamed video. Unequal error protection (UEP) can potentially address this issue by considering the importance of each video packet and its impact on the quality of reconstructed video. This paper proposes a cross-layer UEP solution for wireless video streaming over IEEE 802.11 networks. Video packets are prioritized based on the relative importance of the video packet. UEP is achieved by adapting the link layer parameters on a per-packet basis, using inherent forward error correction and adaptive modulation capabilities of the 802.11n network. Experimental results revealed that the proposed solution achieves comparable performance to the state-of-the-art methods at a lower complexity.     

Cross-Layer Architecture for Adaptive Video Multicast Streaming Over Multirate Wireless LANs

Multicast video streaming over multirate wireless LANs imposes strong demands on video codecs and the underlying network. It is not sufficient that only the video codec or only the underlying protocols adapt to changes in the wireless link quality. Research efforts should be applied in both and in a synchronized way. Cross layer design is a new paradigm that addresses this challenge by optimizing communication network architectures across traditional layer boundaries. This paper presents cross-layer architecture for adaptive video multicast streaming over multirate wireless LANs where layer-specific information is passed in both directions, top-down and bottom-up. The authors jointly consider three layers of the protocol stack: the application, data link and physical layers. The authors analyze the performance of the proposed architecture and extensively evaluate it via simulations. The results show that the real-time video quality of the overall system can be greatly improved by cross-layer signaling.     

Cross-layer resource allocation for integrated Voice/Data traffic in wireless cellular networks

A major task in next-generation wireless cellular networks is provisioning of quality of service (QoS) over the bandwidth limited and error-prone wireless link. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer design scheme to provide QoS for voice and data traffic in wireless cellular networks with differentiated services (DiffServ) backbone. The scheme combines the transport layer protocols and link layer resource allocation to both guarantee the QoS requirements in the transport layer and achieve efficient resource utilization in the link layer. Optimal resource allocation problems for voice and data flows are formulated to guarantee pre-specified QoS with minimal required resources. For integrated voice/data traffic in a cell, a hybrid time-division/code-division medium access control (MAC) scheme is presented to achieve efficient multiplexing. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed cross-layer approach.     

SSIM-based error-resilient cross-layer optimization for wireless video streaming

The traditional Sum of Squared Error (SSE)-based cross-layer optimization has been shown to be an effective way to improve the quality of service for wireless video streaming. However, recent research works show that the SSE-based optimization metric does not always provide the video distortion measurement that matches well with the video quality degradation observed by the human vision system. Taking advantage of the Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) metric in measuring the video perceptual quality, a SSIM-based error-resilient cross-layer optimization scheme is proposed to improve the perceptual quality for the real-time wireless video streaming in this paper. Besides the video data rate adjustment and the link adaption including the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) selection, the error-resilient Rate-Distortion Optimization (RDO) for each encoding unit is introduced into the cross-layer optimization process to ensure that the video data are transmitted efficiently and reliably over the time-varying wireless channel. In addition, to ensure that cross-layer optimization scheme is more practical, a low-complexity optimal parameter selection algorithm that exploits the MCS-SNR relationship and the Rate-Quantization (R-Q) model is proposed. Experimental results show that significant performance improvements in terms of the perceptual video quality and the computational complexity are achieved for the proposed cross-layer optimization scheme.     

Joint QoS control for video streaming over wireless multihop networks: A cross-layer approach

In this paper, we propose a novel cross-layer framework for jointly controlling and coding for multiple video streams in wireless multihop networks. At first, we develop a cross-layer flow control algorithm that works at the medium access control (MAC) layer to adjust each link's persistence probability and at the transport layer to adjust flow rates. This proposal is designed in a distributed manner that is amenable to online implementation for wireless networks, and then, a rate-distortion optimized joint source-channel coding (JSCC) approach for error-resilient scalable encoded video is presented, in which the video is encoded into multiple independent streams and each stream is assigned forward error correction (FEC) codes to avoid error propagation. Furthermore, we integrate the JSCC with the specific flow control algorithm, which optimally applies the appropriate channel coding rate given the constraints imposed by the transmission rate obtained from the proposed flow control algorithm and the prevailing channel condition. Simulation results demonstrate the merits and the need for joint quality of service (QoS) control in order to provide an efficient solution for video streaming over wireless multihop networks.     

A unified framework for distributed video rate allocation over wireless networks

When multiple video streams share a wireless network, careful rate allocation is needed to prevent congestion, as well as to balance the video qualities among the competing streams. In this paper, we present a unified optimization framework for video rate allocation over wireless networks. Our framework applies to both unicast and multicast sessions, and accommodates both scalable and non-scalable streams. The optimization objective is to minimize the total distortion of all video streams without incurring excessive network utilization. Our system model explicitly accounts for heterogeneity in wireless link capacities, traffic contention among neighboring links, as well as different video rate-distortion (RD) characteristics. The proposed distributed media-aware rate allocation scheme leverages cross-layer information exchange between the MAC and application layers to achieve fast convergence at the optimal allocation.We evaluate performance of the proposed scheme for streaming of high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) video sequences over 802.11-based wireless networks, both in unicast and multicast scenarios. The scheme consistently outperforms conventional TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC) in terms of overall video quality, and achieves more balanced qualities among the streams.     

End-to-end optimized TCP-friendly rate control for real-time video streaming over wireless multi-hop networks

Rate control is an important issue in video streaming applications. The most popular rate control scheme over wired networks is TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC), which is designed to provide optimal transport service for unicast multimedia delivery based on the TCP Reno’s throughput equation. It assumes perfect link quality, treating network congestion as the only reason for packet losses. Therefore, when used in wireless environment, it suffers significant performance degradation because of packet losses arising from time-varying link quality. Most current research focuses on enhancing the TFRC protocol itself, ignoring the tightly coupled relation between the transport layer and other network layers. In this paper, we propose a new approach to address this problem, integrating TFRC with the application layer and the physical layer to form a holistic design for real-time video streaming over wireless multi-hop networks. The proposed approach can achieve the best user-perceived video quality by jointly optimizing system parameters residing in different network layers, including real-time video coding parameters at the application layer, packet sending rate at the transport layer, and modulation and coding scheme at the physical layer. The problem is formulated and solved as to find the optimal combination of parameters to minimize the end-to-end expected video distortion constrained by a given video playback delay, or to minimize the video playback delay constrained by a given end-to-end video distortion. Experimental results have validated 2–4 dB PSNR performance gain of the proposed approach in wireless multi-hop networks by using H.264/AVC and NS-2.     

A handover-aware seamless video streaming scheme in heterogeneous wireless networks

With the development of wireless technologies, video streaming services over heterogeneous wireless networks have become more popular in recent years. Video streaming schemes for heterogeneous networks should consider vertical handover in which the link capacity is varied significantly, because the quality experienced for a video streaming service is affected by the network status. When a vertical handover occurs, an abrupt bandwidth change and substantial handover latency lead to bursty packet loss and discontinuity of the video playback. In this paper, we propose a handover-aware video streaming scheme to provide seamless video streaming services over heterogeneous wireless networks. The proposed scheme adjusts its sending rate and the quality level of the transmitted video streams according to the significant bandwidth variation that occurs in a vertical handover. To expedite the response to the bandwidth variation due to a handover, our scheme uses an explicit notification message that informs the streaming server of a client's handover occurrence. In order to evaluate the performance, we use a simulation environment for a vertical handover between wireless local area networks and cellular networks. Through the simulation results, we prove that our scheme improves the experienced quality of video streaming in vertical handovers.     

Optimized video streaming over 802.11 by cross-layer signaling

Seamless video streaming over wireless links imposes strong demands on video codecs and the underlying network. It is not sufficient that only the video codec or only the radio adapts to changes in the wireless link quality; efforts should be applied in both layers, and - if possible - synchronized. Also, the disturbing effect of possible background traffic over the same shared medium has to be taken into account. In this article we present a communication architecture for video streaming over 802.11 that is capable of adapting to changes in the link quality and sharing of the wireless channel in various use scenarios. Experimental results show that substantial improvements in the quality of the video can be obtained by applying link adaptation and cross-layer signaling techniques.     

Cross-layer optimized authentication and error control for wireless 3D medical video streaming over LTE

3D video for tele-medicine applications is gradually gaining momentum since the 3D technology can provide precise location information. However, the weak link for 3D video streaming is the necessary wireless link of the communication system. Neglecting the wireless impairments can severely degrade the performance of 3D video streaming that communicates complex critical medical data. In this paper, we propose systematic methodology for ensuring high performance of the 3D medical video streaming system. First, we present a recursive end-to-end distortion estimation approach for MVC (multiview video coding)-based 3D video streaming over error-prone networks by considering the 3D inter-view prediction. Then, based on the previous model, we develop a cross-layer optimization scheme that considers the LTE wireless physical layer (PHY). In this optimization, the authentication requirements of 3D medical video are also taken into account. The proposed cross-layer optimization approach jointly controls and manages the authentication, video coding quantization of 3D video, and the modulation and channel coding scheme (MCS) of the LTE wireless PHY to minimize the end-to-end video distortion. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can provide superior 3D medical video streaming performance in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) when compared to state-of-the-art approaches that include joint source-channel optimized streaming with multi-path hash-chaining based-authentication, and also conventional video streaming with single path hash-chaining-based authentication.     

Quality-driven cross-layer optimized video delivery over LTE

3GPP Long Term Evolution is one of the major steps in mobile communication to enhance the user experience for next-generation mobile broadband networks. In LTE, orthogonal frequency- division multiple access is adopted in the downlink of its E-UTRA air interface. Although cross-layer techniques have been widely adopted in literature for dynamic resource allocation to maximize data rate in OFDMA wireless networks, application-oriented quality of service for video delivery, such as delay constraint and video distortion, have been largely ignored. However, for wireless video delivery in LTE, especially delay-bounded real-time video streaming, higher data rate could lead to higher packet loss rate, thus degrading the user-perceived video quality. In this article we present a new QoS-aware LTE OFDMA scheduling algorithm for wireless real-time video delivery over the downlink of LTE cellular networks to achieve the best user-perceived video quality under the given application delay constraint. In the proposed approach, system throughput, application QoS constraints, and scheduling fairness are jointly integrated into a cross-layer design framework to dynamically perform radio resource allocation for multiple users, and to effectively choose the optimal system parameters such as modulation and coding scheme and video encoding parameters to adapt to the varying channel quality of each resource block. Experimental results have shown significant performance enhancement of the proposed system.     

Cross-Layer Radio Resource Allocation for Multicarrier Air Interfaces in Multicell Multiuser Environments

Packet scheduling over shared channels is one of the most attractive issues for researchers dealing with radio resource allocation in wireless networks as modern systems' different traffic types, with different application requirements, need to coexist over the air interface. Recently, attention has been attracted to multicarrier techniques and the application of cross-layer approaches to the design of wireless systems. In this paper, a radio access network using a multicarrier air interface is considered in a multicell multiuser context. We propose a new cross-layer scheduling algorithm that manages channel, physical layer, and application-related information; we compare its performance with a previously published cross-layer strategy and with simpler well-known channel-aware or channel-unaware techniques and then discuss its optimization. We investigate the performance in terms of perceived user quality and fairness in the presence of mixed realistic traffic composed of H.264 video streaming with tight bounds on the delay jitter and file transfer protocol (FTP) data. To support video traffic, application-suited buffer-management techniques are also considered in conjunction with scheduling, and link adaptation is implemented at the physical layer to better exploit channel fluctuations. The role of scheduling and resource-allocation functionalities are discussed. It is shown that the cross-layer strategy proposed guarantees the same performance obtained by the previously published algorithm while reducing complexity. Moreover, under heavily loaded conditions, the cross-layer scheduling strategy provides a significant gain with respect to simple channel-aware or channel-unaware techniques.     

Cross-Layer Optimized Rate Adaptation and Scheduling for Multiple-User Wireless Video Streaming

We present a cross-layer optimized video rate adaptation and user scheduling scheme for multi-user wireless video streaming aiming for maximum quality of service (QoS) for each user,, maximum system video throughput, and QoS fairness among users. These objectives are jointly optimized using a multi-objective optimization (MOO) framework that aims to serve the user with the least remaining playback time, highest delivered video seconds per transmission slot and maximum video quality. Experiments with the IS-856 (1timesEV-DO) standard numerology and ITU pedestrian A and vehicular B environments show significant improvements over the state-of- the-art wireless schedulers in terms of user QoS, QoS fairness, and the system throughput.     

H.264/AVC video for wireless transmission

H.264/AVC will be an essential component in emerging wireless video applications thanks to its excellent compression efficiency and network-friendly design. However, a video coding standard itself is only one component within the application and transmission environment. Its effectiveness strongly depends on the selection of appropriate modes and parameters at the encoder, at the decoder, as well as in the network. In this paper we introduce the features of the H.264/AVC coding standard that make it suitable for wireless video applications, including features for error resilience, bit rate adaptation, integration into packet networks, interoperability, and buffering considerations. Modern wireless networks provide many different means to adapt quality of service, such as forward error correction methods on different layers and end-to-end or link layer retransmission protocols. The applicability of all these encoding and network features depends on application constraints, such as the maximum tolerable delay, the possibility of online encoding, and the availability of feedback and cross-layer information. We discuss the use of different coding and transport related features for different applications, namely video telephony, video conferencing, video streaming, download-and-play, and video broadcasting. Guidelines for the selection of appropriate video coding tools, video encoder and decoder settings, as well as transport and network parameters are provided and justified. References to relevant research publications and standardization contributions are given.     

A cross-layer framework for multi-layer-video multicast with QoS requirements in multirate wireless networks

We propose a cross-layer framework for efficient multi-layer-video multicast with rate adaptation and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in multirate wireless networks. We employ time division multiple access at the physical layer to transmit different video layers' data. The multicast sender then dynamically regulates the transmission rate and time-slot allocation based on the channel state information (CSI) and loss QoS requirements imposed by upper protocol layers. Under our proposed cross-layer framework, we first design a rate adaptation algorithm to fulfill the diverse loss QoS requirements for all video layers while achieving high multicast throughput. We then develop a time-slot allocation scheme which synchronizes data transmission across different video layers. Also conducted are simulation results to validate and evaluate our designed adaptive multicasting schemes under the proposed cross-layer framework.     

Cross-layer architecture for scalable video transmission in wireless network

Multimedia applications such as video conference, digital video broadcasting (DVB), and streaming video and audio have been gaining popularity during last years and the trend has been to allocate these services more and more also on mobile users. The demand of quality of service (QoS) for multimedia raises huge challenges on the network design, not only concerning the physical bandwidth but also the protocol design and services. One of the goals for system design is to provide efficient solutions for adaptive multimedia transmission over different access networks in all-IP environment. The joint source and channel coding (JSCC/D) approach has already given promising results in optimizing multimedia transmission. However, in practice, arranging the required control mechanism and delivering the required side information through network and protocol stack have caused problems and quite often the impact of network has been neglected in studies. In this paper we propose efficient cross-layer communication methods and protocol architecture in order to transmit the control information and to optimize the multimedia transmission over wireless and wired IP networks. We also apply this architecture to the more specific case of streaming of scalable video streams. Scalable video coding has been an active research topic recently and it offers simple and flexible solutions for video transmission over heterogeneous networks to heterogeneous terminals. In addition it provides easy adaptation to varying transmission conditions. In this paper we illustrate how scalable video transmission can be improved with efficient use of the proposed cross-layer design, adaptation mechanisms and control information.     

Cross-Layer Modeling for QoS-Driven Multimedia Multicast/Broadcast over Fading Channels in [Advances in Mobile Multimedia]

In this article we propose a cross-layer design model for multimedia multicast/broadcast services to efficiently support the diverse quality of service requirements over mobile wireless networks. Specifically, we aim at achieving high system throughput for multimedia multicast/broadcast while satisfying QoS requirements from different protocol layers. First, at the physical layer, we propose a dynamic rate adaptation scheme to optimize the average throughput subject to the loss rate QoS constraint specified from the upper-layer protocol users. We investigate scenarios with either independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) or non-i.i.d. fading channels connecting to different multicast receivers. Then, applying the effective capacity theory at the data link layer, we study the impact of the delay QoS requirement (i.e., QoS exponent) on the multimedia data rate of mobile multicast/broadcast that our proposed scheme can support. Also presented are simulation results which show the trade-off among different QoS metrics and the performance superiority of our proposed scheme as compared to the other existing schemes.     

Application-driven cross-layer optimization for video streaming over wireless networks

Mobile multimedia applications require networks that optimally allocate resources and adapt to dynamically changing environments. Cross-layer design (CLD) is a new paradigm that addresses this challenge by optimizing communication network architectures across traditional layer boundaries. In this article we discuss the relevant technical challenges of CLD and focus on application-driven CLD for video streaming over wireless networks. We propose a cross-layer optimization strategy that jointly optimizes the application layer, data link layer, and physical layer of the protocol stack using an application-oriented objective function in order to maximize user satisfaction. In our experiments we demonstrate the performance gain achievable with this approach. We also explore the trade-off between performance gain and additional computation and communication cost introduced by cross-layer optimization. Finally, we outline future research challenges in CLD.     

Design and Implementation of a Network‐Adaptive Mechanism for HTTP Video Streaming

This paper proposes a network‐adaptive mechanism for HTTP‐based video streaming over wireless/mobile networks. To provide adaptive video streaming over wireless/mobile networks, the proposed mechanism consists of a throughput estimation scheme in the time‐variant wireless network environment and a video rate selection algorithm used to increase the streaming quality. The adaptive video streaming system with proposed modules is implemented using an open source multimedia framework and is validated over emulated wireless/mobile networks. The emulator helps to model and emulate network conditions based on data collected from actual experiments. The experiment results show that the proposed mechanism provides higher video quality than the existing system provides and a rate of video streaming almost void of freezing.     

Wireless video streaming with TCP and simultaneous MAC packet transmission (SMPT)

Video streaming is expected to account for a large portion of the traffic in future networks, including wireless networks. It is widely accepted that the user datagram protocol (UDP) is the preferred transport protocol for video streaming and that the transmission control protocol (TCP) is unsuitable for streaming. The widespread use of UDP, however, has a number of drawbacks, such as unfairness and possible congestion collapse, which are avoided by TCP. In this paper we investigate the use of TCP as the transport layer protocol for streaming video in a multi‐code CDMA cellular wireless system. Our approach is to stabilize the TCP throughput over the wireless links by employing a recently developed simultaneous MAC packet transmission (SMPT) approach at the link layer. We study the capacity, i.e. the number of customers per cell, and the quality of service for streaming video in the uplink direction. Our extensive simulations indicate that streaming over TCP in conjunction with SMPT gives good performance for video encoded in a closed loop, i.e. with rate control. We have also found that TCP is unsuitable (even in conjunction with SMPT) for streaming the more variable open‐loop encoded video. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.