Efficient transmission schemes are presented for streaming scalable video over a link with limited capacity. The objective is to select a transmission sequence of data units and their transmission schedule such that the overall video quality is maximized. For video with a single spatial layer, optimal transmission schemes are obtained for two general classes of hierarchical prediction structures, which include the popular dyadic structure. Based on a new characterization of the interdependence among frames in terms of trees, structural properties of an optimal transmission schedule are derived. These properties lead to the development of a jointly optimal frame selection and scheduling algorithm, which has computational complexity that is quadratic in the number of frames. Then, using the concept of virtual deadlines, an efficient sub-optimal scheme for the transmission of video with multiple spatial layers is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes substantially outperform two existing alternatives.

Efficient transmission schemes are presented for streaming scalable video over a link with limited capacity. The objective is to select a transmission sequence of data units and their transmission schedule such that the overall video quality is maximized. For video with a single spatial layer, optimal transmission schemes are obtained for two general classes of hierarchical prediction structures, which include the popular dyadic structure. Based on a new characterization of the interdependence among frames in terms of trees, structural properties of an optimal transmission schedule are derived. These properties lead to the development of a jointly optimal frame selection and scheduling algorithm, which has computational complexity that is quadratic in the number of frames. Then, using the concept of virtual deadlines, an efficient sub-optimal scheme for the transmission of video with multiple spatial layers is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes substantially outperform two existing alternatives.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming has recently received much research attention, with successful commercial systems showing its viability in the Internet. Despite the remarkable popularity in real-world systems, the fundamental properties and limitations are not yet well understood from a theoretical perspective, as there exists a significant gap between the fundamental limits and the performance achieved in practice. In this thesis, we seek to provide an in-depth analytical understanding of fundamental properties and limitations of P2P streaming systems, with a particular spotlight on the performance gap. We first identify the major problem in existing streaming protocols and show that this problem accounts for most of the gap separating the actual and optimal performances of the streaming systems. We then propose a remedy based on network coding to address this problem and show that the gap to the fundamental limits can be significantly reduced.

As mobile devices still have limited battery life, processing power, memory, and display size, they cannot yet execute gaming applications with the same fidelity and quality as their PC counterparts. In response, researchers have recently performed research with the goal of the real-time delivery of game content specifically to fit within mobile devices’ limitations. In this thesis, we present a novel approach to tackling the streaming of objects to mobile devices. Our goal is to reduce the number of objects subject to streaming from the server to the target devices, while not violating the user-defined limitations through an efficient, context-aware 3D object selection and prioritization scheme. We take advantage of the game context to stream only the most relevant objects. Our evaluations have shown that this technique not only leads to better performance in general, but also increases the gameplay experience by helping the player to achieve a higher score.

Fourth Generation (4G) cellular technology Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) offers high data rate capabilities to mobile users; and, operators are trying to deliver a true mobile broadband experience over LTE networks. Mobile TV and Video on Demand (VoD) are expected to be the main revenue generators in the near future [36] and efficient video streaming over wireless is the key to enabling this. 3GPP recommends the use of H.264 baseline profiles for all video based services in Third Generation (3G) Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) networks. However, LTE networks need to support mobile devices with different display resolution requirements like small resolution mobile phones and high resolution laptops. Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is required to achieve this goal. Feasibility study of SVC for LTE is one of the main agenda of 3GPP Release10. SVC enhances H.264 with a set of new profiles and encoding tools that may be used to produce scalable bit streams. Efficient adaptation methods for SVC video transmission over LTE networks are proposed in this thesis. Advantages of SVC over H.264 are analyzed using real time use cases of mobile video streaming. Further, we study the cross layer adaptation and scheduling schemes for delivering SVC video streams most efficiently to the users in LTE networks in unicast and multicast transmissions. We propose SVC based video streaming scheme for unicast and multicast transmissions in the downlink direction, with dynamic adaptations and a scheduling scheme based on channel quality information from users. Simulation results indicate improved video quality for more number of users in the coverage area and efficient spectrum usage with the proposed methods.

The imminent inception of third-generation (3G) mobile communication networks offers an unprecedented opportunity for the development of video streaming applications through wireless Internet access. Different design challenges exist in implementing video streaming connections spanning both wired and wireless domains. A split-domain TCP-friendly streaming video transmission protocol is presented based on adaptive rate encoding in the MPEG-4 video format. Network simulations are conducted to demonstrate the benefits and viability of such a video streaming scheme over existing options. Further feature enhancements and refinements are necessary for the proposed protocol to achieve its full potential.

In this thesis, a novel Scalable Multiple Description Coding (SMDC) framework is proposed. To address the bandwidth fluctuation, packet loss and heterogeneity problems in the wireless networks and further enhance the error resilience tools in Moving Pictures Experts Group 4 (MPEG-4), the joint design of layered coding (LC) and multiple description coding (MDC) is explored. It leverages a proposed distributed multimedia delivery mobile network (D-MDMN) to provide path diversity to combat streaming video outage due to handoff in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The corresponding intra-RAN (Radio Access Network) handoff and inter-RAN handoff procedures in D-MDMN are studied in details, which employ the principle of video stream re-establishing to replace the principle of data forwarding in UMTS. Furthermore, a new IP (Internet Protocol) Differentiated Services (DiffServ) video marking algorithm is proposed to support the unequal error protection (UEP) of LC components of SMDC. Performance evaluation is carried through simulation using OPNET Modeler 9. 0. Simulation results show that the proposed handoff procedures in D-MDMN have better performance in terms of handoff latency, end-to-end delay and handoff scalability than that in UMTS. Performance evaluation of our proposed IP DiffServ video marking algorithm is also undertaken, which shows that it is more suitable for video streaming in IP mobile networks compared with the previously proposed DiffServ video marking algorithm (DVMA).

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the possibilities of creating a MPEG-4-compatible set-top box for IP-networks based on open standards. Existing alternatives for transporting MPEG-4 over IP are evaluated and ISMA is found to be an important actor within the area. ISMA is a non-profit corporation formed to provide a forum for the creation of specifications that define an interoperable implementation for streaming rich media over IP-networks. Two different designs based on ISMA's recommendation are constructed and evaluated. The designs have different levels of complexity and the more complex design is found to be better due to its extended functionality. During the design process a number of problems related to this kind of set-top box are discovered. It is believed, however, that many of these problems will be solved within the near future.

Computer animated faces have found their way into a wide variety of areas. Starting from entertainment like computer games, through television and films to user interfaces using “talking heads”. Animated faces are also becoming popular in web applications in form of human-like assistants or newsreaders. This thesis presents a few aspects of dealing with human face animations, namely: editing, playing and transmitting such animations. It describes a standard for handling human face animations, the MPEG-4 Face Animation, and shows the process of designing, implementing and evaluating applications compliant to this standard. First, it presents changes introduced to the existing components of the Visage|toolkit package for dealing with facial animations, offered by the company Visage Technologies AB. It also presents the process of designing and implementing of an application for editing facial animations compliant to the MPEG-4 Face Animation standard. Finally, it discusses several approaches to the problem of streaming facial animations over the Internet or the Local Area Network (LAN).

The third generation, 3G, mobile telephone systems are designed for multimedia communication and will offer us similar services as in our stationary computers. This will involve large traffic loads, especially in the downlink direction, i.e. from base station to terminal. To improve the downlink capacity for packet data services a new concept is included in evolved 3G networks. The concept is called High Speed Data Packet Access, HSDPA, and provides peak bit rates of 14 Mbps. HSDPA uses a so-called best effort channel, i.e. it is developed for services that do not require guaranteed bit rates. The channel is divided in time between the users and a scheduling algorithm is used to allocate the channel among them. Streaming is a common technology for video transmission over the Internet and with 3G it is supposed to become popular also in our mobiles. Streaming generates lots of data traffic in the downlink direction and it would thus be satisfying to make use of the high bit rates HSDPA provides. The problem is that streaming requires reasonable stable bit rates, which is not guaranteed using HSDPA. The aim of this study is to modify the scheduling algorithms to prioritise streaming over web users and provide streaming Quality of Service, QoS. QoS is the ability to guarantee certain transmission characteristics. The results of the study show that it is hard to improve the streaming capacity by modifications of the scheduling. Of course, a consequence is that the web user throughput is decreased and to avoid this, new users have to be rejected by the admission control.The solution is to prioritise the streaming users both in the scheduling algorithm and in the admission control, i.e. when the system is nearly full new web users are rejected. By doing so the results are significantly improved.