Low-complexity video coding for receiver-driven layered multicast

The “Internet Multicast Backbone,” or MBone, has risen from a small, research curiosity to a large-scale and widely used communications infrastructure. A driving force behind this growth was the development of multipoint audio, video, and shared whiteboard conferencing applications. Because these real-time media are transmitted at a uniform rate to all of the receivers in the network, a source must either run at the bottleneck rate or overload portions of its multicast distribution tree. We overcome this limitation by moving the burden of rate adaptation from the source to the receivers with a scheme we call receiver-driven layered multicast, or RLM. In RLM, a source distributes a hierarchical signal by striping the different layers across multiple multicast groups, and receivers adjust their reception rate by simply joining and leaving multicast groups. We describe a layered video compression algorithm which, when combined with RLM, provides a comprehensive solution for scalable multicast video transmission in heterogeneous networks. In addition to a layered representation, our coder has low complexity (admitting an efficient software implementation) and high loss resilience (admitting robust operation in loosely controlled environments like the Internet). Even with these constraints, our hybrid DCT/wavelet-based coder exhibits good compression performance. It outperforms all publicly available Internet video codecs while maintaining comparable run-time performance. We have implemented our coder in a “real” application-the UCB/LBL videoconferencing tool vic. Unlike previous work on layered video compression and transmission, we have built a fully operational system that is currently being deployed on a very large scale over the MBone     

一种基于主动代理的增强型分层多播算法——AELM

为一种典型的多速率视频多播算法,RLM 通过动态地加入和退出一定的多播组来实现对网络的拥塞控制。然而,RLM 算法存在要求用户协同工作、反应时间长以及对路由表项容量要求高的问题。本文通过引入主动代理反馈机制以及历史相关决策因子对其进行了改进,提出了一种基于主动代理的增强型分层多播算法——AELM。试验表明本文的算法能够解决 RLM 算法存在的问题。     

FLID-DL: congestion control for layered multicast

We describe fair layered increase/decrease with dynamic layering (FLID-DL): a new multirate congestion control algorithm for layered multicast sessions. FLID-DL generalizes the receiver-driven layered congestion control protocol (RLC) introduced by Vicisano et al. (Proc. IEEE INFOCOM, San Francisco, CA, , p.996-1003, Mar. 1998)ameliorating the problems associated with large Internet group management protocol (IGMP) leave latencies and abrupt rate increases. Like RLC, FLID-DL, is a scalable, receiver-driven congestion control mechanism in which receivers add layers at sender-initiated synchronization points and leave layers when they experience congestion. FLID-DL congestion control coexists with transmission control protocol (TCP) flows as well as other FLID-DL sessions and supports general rates on the different multicast layers. We demonstrate via simulations that our congestion control scheme exhibits better fairness properties and provides better throughput than previous methods. A key contribution that enables FLID-DL and may be useful elsewhere is dynamic layering (DL), which mitigates the negative impact of long IGMP leave latencies and eliminates the need for probe intervals present in RLC. We use DL to respond to congestion much faster than IGMP leave operations, which have proven to be a bottleneck in practice for prior work.     

Resilient multicast conversational video

We propose a feedback-based protocol for resilient multicast videoconferencing in error-prone networks. Unlike previous approaches, our scheme not only improves video quality at error-prone receivers, but it also maximizes the overall video quality of the session and achieves efficient usage of the available bandwidth. This protocol uses a decentralized repair request algorithm with (i) a new multicast suppression technique that protects critical correction requests and eliminates duplicated or overlapped control packets, and (ii) a new error resilience scheme based on multicast repair packets that convey predictive correction information to the video session. We present experimental videoconferencing results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the protocol in ad hoc WLANs.     

The impact of multicast layering on network fairness

Many definitions of fairness for multicast networks assume that sessions are single rate, requiring that each multicast session transmits data to all of its receivers at the same rate. These definitions do not account for multirate approaches, such as layering, that permit receiving rates within a session to be chosen independently. We identify four desirable fairness properties for multicast networks, derived from properties that hold within the max-min fair allocations of unicast networks. We extend the definition of multicast max-min fairness to networks that contain multirate sessions, and show that all four fairness properties hold in a multirate max-min fair allocation, but need not hold in a single-rate max-min fair allocation. We then show that multirate max-min fair rate allocations can be achieved via intra-session coordinated joins and leaves of multicast groups. However, in the absence of coordination, the resulting max-min fair rate allocation uses link bandwidth inefficiently, and does not exhibit some of the desirable fairness properties. We evaluate this inefficiency for several layered multirate congestion control schemes, and find that, in a protocol where the sender coordinates joins, this inefficiency has minimal impact on desirable fairness properties. Our results indicate that sender-coordinated layered protocols show promise for achieving desirable fairness properties for allocations in large-scale multicast networks     

基于网络控制的分层多点播送速率控制机制研究

本文在视频分层编码及分层传输协议的基础上，将基于网络控制与接收端控制机制相结合，提出一种新的分层多点播送速率控制机制。文中给出了该机制的拥塞检测、流行度权衡和数据层增加和丢弃算法。实验结果表明，该速率控制机制通史对拥塞做也快速响应，并在较好利用宽带的基础上保证高流行度的会话流具有较好的服务质量。     

Adaptive video multicast over the Internet

The authors survey existing solutions to adaptive video multicast, providing a taxonomy of solutions according to several distinct features. They also review the principal techniques from both video coding and network transport perspectives. Finally, they discuss the evaluation methodologies and metrics for adaptive video multicast systems.     

Network-embedded FEC for optimum throughput of multicast packet video

Forward error correction (FEC) schemes have been proposed and used successfully for multicasting realtime video content to groups of users. Under traditional IP multicast, application-level FEC can only be implemented on an end-to-end basis between the sender and the clients. Emerging overlay and peer-to-peer (p2p) networks open the door for new paradigms of network FEC. The deployment of FEC within these emerging networks has received very little attention (if any). In this paper, we analyze and optimize the impact of network-embedded FEC (NEF) in overlay and p2p multimedia multicast networks. Under NEF, we place FEC codecs in selected intermediate nodes of a multicast tree. The NEF codecs detect and recover lost packets within FEC blocks at earlier stages before these blocks arrive at deeper intermediate nodes or at the final leaf nodes. This approach significantly reduces the probability of receiving undecodable FEC blocks. In essence, the proposed NEF codecs work as signal regenerators in a communication system and can reconstruct most of the lost data packets without requiring retransmission. We develop an optimization algorithm for the placement of NEF codecs within random multicast trees. Based on extensive H.264 video simulations, we show that this approach provides significant improvements in video quality, both visually and in terms of PSNR values.     

Robust video multicast with joint network coding and video interleaving

In this work, we propose a cross-layer solution to robust video multicast in erasure networks based on random linear network coding (RLNC) in the network layer and video interleaving (VI) in the application layer, and call it the joint RLNC-VI scheme. In the RLNC implementation, we partition one video coding unit (VCU) into several priority levels using scalable properties of H.264/SVC video. Packets from the same priority level of several VCUs form one RLNC generation, and unequal protection is applied to different generations. RLNC provides redundancy for video packets in the network layer and has proved to be useful in a multicast environment. Then, we propose a new packet-level interleaving scheme, called the RLNC-facilitated interleaving scheme, where each received packet corresponds to a new constraint on source packets. As a result, it can facilitate the RLNC decoding at the destination node. Furthermore, we study the problem of optimal interleaving design, which selects the optimal interleaving degree and the optimal redundancy of each generation. The tradeoff between delay and received video quality due to the choice of different VCUs is also examined. It is shown by simulation results that the proposed RLNC-VI scheme outperforms the pure RLNC method for robust video multicast in erasure networks. This can be explained by two reasons. First, the VI scheme distributes the impact of the loss (or erasure) of one VCU into partial data loss over multiple neighboring VCUs. Second, the original video content can be easily recovered with spatial/temporal error concealment (EC) in the joint RLNC-VI scheme.     

Achieving resource reduction for protecting multicast sessions in WDM mesh networks

The advances in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology are expected to facilitate bandwidth-intensive multicast application by establishing a light-tree, which regards the source node as the root, and involves all the destination nodes. The light-tree is sensitive to failures, e.g., a single fiber cut may disrupt the transmission of information to several destination nodes. Thus, it is imperative to protect multicast sessions. In this work, we investigate the problem of protecting dynamic multicast sessions in mesh WDM networks against single link failures. Our objectives are to minimize the usage of network resources in terms of wavelength links for provisioning survivable multicast session, and to reduce the multicast session blocking probability. We propose two efficient multicast session protecting algorithms, called Optimal Path Pair based Removing Residual Links (OPP-RRL) and Source Leaf Path based Avoiding Residual Links (SLP-ARL), which try to reduce the usage of network resource by removing or avoiding residual links in the topology consisting of light-tree and its backup paths. To evaluate the proposed algorithms, we apply Integer Linear Programming (ILP) to generate an optimal solution. We also compare the proposed algorithms with existing algorithms through simulation. Simulation results indicate that the two proposed algorithms have better performance than other existing algorithms in terms of wavelength links required and network blocking probability. Furthermore, the solutions generated by the two proposed algorithms are quite close to the solutions generated by ILP in terms of the number of wavelength links required, when the network size is small.     

Fingerprint multicast in secure video streaming.

Digital fingerprinting is an emerging technology to protect multimedia content from illegal redistribution, where each distributed copy is labeled with unique identification information. In video streaming, huge amount of data have to be transmitted to a large number of users under stringent latency constraints, so the bandwidth-efficient distribution of uniquely fingerprinted copies is crucial. This paper investigates the secure multicast of anticollusion fingerprinted video in streaming applications and analyzes their performance. We first propose a general fingerprint multicast scheme that can be used with most spread spectrum embedding-based multimedia fingerprinting systems. To further improve the bandwidth efficiency, we explore the special structure of the fingerprint design and propose a joint fingerprint design and distribution scheme. From our simulations, the two proposed schemes can reduce the bandwidth requirement by 48% to 87%, depending on the number of users, the characteristics of video sequences, and the network and computation constraints. We also show that under the constraint that all colluders have the same probability of detection, the embedded fingerprints in the two schemes have approximately the same collusion resistance. Finally, we propose a fingerprint drift compensation scheme to improve the quality of the reconstructed sequences at the decoder's side without introducing extra communication overhead.     

Achieving log-utility fairness in CDMA systems via majorization theory

The log-utility fairness problem in CDMA systems is tackled by a new technique - the theory of majorization. Showing that the objective function is strictly Schur concave, we reduce the dimension of the problem to one. After this reduction, we show that the problem has a monotonic property and thus can be solved efficiently by bisection search.     

A survey of congestion control schemes for multicast video applications

Congestion control for IP multicast on the Internet has been one of the main issues that challenge a rapid deployment of IP multicast. In this article, we survey and discuss the most important congestion control schemes for multicast video applications on the Internet. We start with a discussion of the different elements of a multicast congestion control architecture. A congestion control scheme for multicast video possesses specific requirements for these elements. These requirements are discussed, along with the evaluation criteria for the performance of multicast video. We categorize the schemes we present into end-to-end schemes and router-supported schemes. We start with the end-to-end category and discuss several examples of both single-rate multicast applications and layered multicast applications. For the router-supported category, we first present single-rate schemes that utilize filtering of multicast packets by the routers. Next we discuss receiver-based layered schemes that rely on routers group?flow control of multicast sessions. We evaluate a number of schemes that belong to each of the two categories.     

Unequal packet loss protection for layered video transmission

A general model for the transmission of layered video is introduced. The effect of packet dropping in different layers on the reconstruction of pictures is analysed. The application of unequal packet loss protection (UPLP) for layered video is proposed and the performance is investigated. An algorithm for the design of the UPLP parameters is described. The numerical analysis shows that the unequal packet loss protection can significantly improve the communication quality, in the sense of packet loss rate on reconstructing pictures, without any additional complexity in the network infrastructure. It is also shown that application of UPLP can achieve a more efficient bandwidth utilization than the application of ARQ protocols. This technique is suitable for multimedia multicasting in heterogeneous networks, as well as for digital video broadcasting systems which support a variety of receivers with different resolutions and signal processing powers     

SVC分层视频流在有线网络中的多码率组播优化

主要研究了可分级视频编码（SVC）在有线网络中进行多码率组播时,对于视频传输质量以及路由选择进行联合优化的问题。为了获得有线网络中视频流分层接收的最优化,提出了基于网络编码约束的凸优化模型,并且在SVC编码约束下保证了每个接收节点以递增的顺序获得分层的视频流,最终能够联合地优化组播的路由以及相应的码率。而使用分解理论中的原始分解和对偶分解方法,将原来较为复杂的优化问题分解为两层优化子问题,并且提出了求解整个联合优化问题的分布式解法。     

Efficient scalable video multicast based on network-coded communication

In order to increase the efficiency of mobile video transmission in a 5G network, this paper investigates a cooperative multicast of scalable video using network coding with adaptive modulation and coding over dedicated relay-based cellular networks. Different scalable video layers prefer different protection degrees, and user equipments (UEs) in different locations experience different packet loss rates in wireless networks. Guaranteeing that all UEs experience a certain level of video quality is one of the biggest challenges in scalable video multicast. Using the number of satisfied UEs as a metric, the proposed efficient scalable video multicast based on network-coded cooperation (SVM-NC) scheme, combined with adaptive modulation and coding, enhances the attainable system performance under strict time and bandwidth resource constraints for guaranteed smooth playback. Various simulations were performed for performance evaluation. The proposed scheme ensures that the expected percentage of satisfied UEs approximately achieves the maximum number of UEs in a multicast group by using network-coded cooperation over dedicated relay-based cellular networks. In addition, the peak signal-to-noise ratio metric is asymptotic to the maximum performance of high-resolution video quality offered by service providers.     

Optimized layered multicast with superposition coding in cellular systems

We consider the problem of optimal power allocation and optimal user selection in a layered multicast transmission over quasi‐static Rayleigh fading channels. A scheme based on superposition coding is proposed in which basic multicast streams and enhanced multicast streams are superimposed and transmitted by a base station, while users with worse channel conditions can only decode basic multicast streams, and users with better channel conditions can decode both basic and enhanced multicast streams. In this paper, subject to fixed user selection ratios, the optimal power allocation for each stream that maximizes average throughput is investigated, and the impact of power allocation on average outage probability is discussed. Finally, subject to fixed transmit power and power allocation, the optimal user selection ratio for enhanced multicast streams is also studied. Numerical results show that the optimized layered multicast scheme outperforms the conventional multicast scheme in terms of average throughput. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于时延的分层多播拥塞控制协议设计

提出了一种适用于多媒体传输的接收端驱动的分层多播拥塞控制机制，简称BDP（based on delay parameters）协议。该协议依据时延参数的动态变化来估测路径可用带宽，保证了网络资源的有效利用，实现了自适应的加层判断；预测网络的拥塞状况，实现了对拥塞的快速响应。ns2仿真结果表明，BDP协议取得良好的稳定性、扩展性、快速收敛性，相比于现有的MRAAR-MT协议，BDP协议表现了更好的TCP公平性。     

Enabling layered video coding for IMS-based IPTV home services

Nowadays IPTV services are gaining attention from both providers and end users. There is a large effort toward the integration of these services into emerging nextgeneration network architectures. In particular, one of the most relevant solutions is being proposed by ETSI-TISPAN and is based on the IP multimedia subsystem. This article focuses on introducing layered video coding into TISPAN IMS-based IPTV architecture, allowing cost-effective efficient solutions both for residential users and providers (e.g., flexible support of heterogeneous devices, live mosaics, adaptive video quality based on device and/or network capabilities). The advantages of using layered video coding in the TISPAN IPTV solution are analyzed and illustrated with a set of use cases. Furthermore, this solution has been integrated into a multimedia testbed in order to validate the presented proposal.