Smoothing and Modeling of Video Transmission Rates over a QoS Network with Limited Bandwidth Connections

TL;DR

This paper presents a semi-optimal video smoothing method for transmitting MPEG-4 and H.264 videos over QoS networks, significantly reducing rate variability while preventing buffer issues.

Contribution

It introduces a novel smoothing buffer technique with thresholds and a queuing model tailored for H.264 streams, enhancing transmission stability in limited bandwidth networks.

Findings

Reduced transmission rate variability

No buffer overflows or underflows achieved

Improved suitability for QoS network transmission

Abstract

Transmission of video over a limited bandwidth network is challenging due to the natural variability of video, and link characteristics. Video smoothing techniques can be used to facilitate more effective transmission and to preserve better quality. In this paper we develop a semi-optimal video smoothing approach to manage the transmission of MPEG-4 and H.264 video while mapping it to be more suitable for a QoS based network. The proposed technique utilizes a smoothing buffer with pre-defined thresholds to smooth the transmission rates while assuming minimal information about the video to be transmitted. The results obtained showed a significant improvements in transmission rate variability while guaranteeing no buffer overflows or underflows. In addition, a queuing model is developed for the used smoothing algorithm for H.264 video streams with optimized encoding and packetization, utilizing the available H.264 macroblock ordering option.