To provide interactive operations such as fast-forward, slow-forward, switch channel, and jump function for peer-to-peer on demand video streaming is a challenge. In this thesis, we proposed a vEB-tree (van Emde Boas tree) based architecture for interactive VoD services in peer-to-peer networks. The proposed architecture assumes videos can be divided into many segments, and these segments are stored in each peer. In the architecture, it includes vEB-tree based topology, procedure of demand segment search, and a distribution scheme. It not only efficiently provides interactive operations but also reduces the control messages. Additionally, each peer stores segments based on the proposed distribution scheme to reduce the server stress. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed architecture outperforms Baton, BBTU, and VMesh in terms of jump latency, server stress, and neighbors¡¦ maintenance cost.

Zugl.: Klagenfurt, Univ., Diss., 2007 / Hergestellt on demand

This thesis evaluates and presents streaming server solutions in terms of price and performance with focus on delivering high quality video movies over broadband. The general results that have been found are that Darwin Streaming Server for Linux is recommended for a distributed solution with many nodes in the network where large distribution cost per movie is acceptable, Darwin Streaming Server for Windows is not recommended and Windows Media 9 Series is recommended in distributions where few servers can be used in the streaming network and low cost per delivered object is highly desirable. / Rapporten presenterar en utvärdering av streaming server lösningar med avseende på pris och prestanda. Fokus ligger på att utvärdera möjligheterna att streama hög kvalitets video över bredband. De generella resultaten är att Darwin Streaming Server för Linux är rekommenderad för en distribuerad lösning som kräver många noder i nätverket och höga distributionskostnader är acceptabla. Darwin Streaming Server för Windows är inte rekommenderad och Windows Media 9 Series rekommenderas när få streaming servrar kan användas och där låga distributionskostnader är viktiga. / georg.westin@home.se

The Cloud infrastructure has become an ideal platform for large-scale applications, such as Video-on-Demand (VoD). As VoD systems migrate to the Cloud, new challenges emerge. The complexity of the Cloud system due to virtualization and resource sharing complicates the Quality of Experience (QoE) management. Operational failures in the Cloud can lead to session crashes. In addition to the Cloud, there are many other systems involved in the large-scale video streaming. These systems include the Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), multiple transit networks, access networks, and user devices. Anomalies in any of these systems can affect users’ Quality of Experience (QoE). Identifying the anomalous system that causes QoE degradation is challenging for VoD providers due to their limited visibility over these systems. We propose to apply end user QoE in the management and control of large-scale VoD systems in the Cloud. We present a QoE-based management and control systems and validate them in production Clouds. QMan, a QoE based Management system for VoD in the Cloud, controls the server selection adaptively based on user QoE. QWatch, a scalable monitoring system, detects and locates anomalies based on the end-user QoE. QRank, a scalable anomaly identification system, identifies the anomalous systems causing QoE anomalies. The proposed systems are developed and evaluated in production Clouds (Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Service). QMan provides 30% more users with QoE above the “good” Mean Opinion Score (MOS) than existing server selection systems. QMan discovers operational failures by QoE based server monitoring and prevents streaming session crashes. QWatch effectively detects and locates QoE anomalies in our extensive experiments in production Clouds. We find numerous false positives and false negatives when system metric based anomaly detection methods are used. QRank identifies anomalous systems causing 99.98% of all QoE anomalies among transit networks, access networks and user devices. Our extensive experiments in production Clouds show that transit networks are the most common bottleneck causing QoE anomalies. Cloud provider should identify bottleneck transit networks and determine appropriate peering with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to bypass these bottlenecks.

One aim of this thesis is to provide an overview of technological, economic and legal aspects of the distribution of audiovisual content over internet and other IP networks. This thesis will provide introduction to most widely used compression methods of digital audio and video, transmission methods and protocols. Another aim is to create a case study that deals with selecting the best solution for a commercial project of Video On Demand server. This objective is achieved by applying methods of multi-criteria evaluation of options based on theoretical analysis of distribution solutions. The secondary aim is to determine the total cost of ownership of the different options by using the methodology of TCO (Total Cost of ownership). This thesis also provides a comparison with the solution based on purely non-commercial focus.

The following master thesis analyzes to which extent streaming services in particularNetflix influence the German television landscape and how this discourse is covered inGerman newspapers.The work shows that online streaming services with their non-linear content have animpact on German television. The theoretical base of the work is the critical discourseanalysis by the German linguist Siegfried Jäger. His work analyzes relevant socialdiscourses with its own method based on the theory of the French philosopher MichelFoucault. The present thesis refers to Netflix as a streaming service and analyzes theaspect of how it influences the television landscape since its introduction on the Germanmarket in 2014. For deeper understanding before conducting the critical discourse aninitial analysis of the German television market is presented. The base of the analysisare newspaper articles. Furthermore, the relevant aspects of the publishing landscape inGermany are introduced to provide the reader with relevant background knowledge.Moreover, the thesis contains an analysis of newspaper articles from three leadingnewspapers in Germany: Süddeutsche Zeitung, BILD Zeitung and taz, die tageszeitung(following referred to as taz). 15 representative articles were chosen and afterwardsanalyzed with the method of critical discourse analysis. The results of all threenewspapers on the Netflix discourse are compared to each other. In conclusion, thework shows that the influence of streaming services, especially Netflix on Germantelevision is stronger then expected. And even if television is still seen as the leadingmedium in Germany, public as well as private broadcasters have to be aware of the newcompetitor on the market and adapt to constant changes especially in the online segment.

Syfte: Vi vill ta reda på hur teknikutvecklingen relaterad till VoD påverkar beteendet hos unga vuxna och hur detta beteende förändrar tv-tittandet i denna målgrupp. Teori: Denna studie använder huvudsakligen två teorier för att undersöka problemet. Den första teori som tas upp är Diffusion of innovation, Rogers (2003) som diskuterar innovationers spridning och påverkan i samhället. För att vidare undersöka beteendet hos unga vuxna används Jakob Bjurs avhandling Transforming Audiences (2009) som undersöker individualiseringens mönster inom tv-tittande. Metod: En kvalitativ empirisk fallstudie baserad på intervjuer av fokusgrupper samt personintervju. Detta stöds av en kvantitativ undersökning i syfte att skapa en triangulering för att minimera risken för en felaktig tolkning av resultatet. Resultat: Unga vuxna vill inte längre anpassa sig till tv-tablåer. Generationen blir allt mer individualiserad och vill därför välja helt på egen hand var och när de skall titta på exempelvis ett tv-program. Medieföretagen är medvetna om detta skifte från linjär-tv till VoD och således finns ett fokus på att utveckla ett mer individ-anpassat tittande. Trots individualiseringen och de förbättrade VoD-tjänsterna vill många se bland annat nyheter, större sportevenemang samt melodifestivalen via linjär-tv. Slutsats: Den största anledningen till att många gör denna övergång från linjär-tv till VoD är att de söker en flexibilitet som linjär-tv inte kan erbjuda. Flexibiliteten har gjorts möjlig genom den teknikutveckling som skett inom datorer, smarttelefoner och surfplattor. Det som lockar många VoD-användare till att fortfarande titta på linjär-tv är de sändningar som är viktiga att se i realtid. Tack vare dessa kommer förmodligen tv-tittandet finnas kvar en tid framöver, dock ser vi sjunkande tittarsiffror i de yngre generationerna vilket gör framtiden för linjär-tv oviss.

I denna rapport ställs frågor beträffande hur Viaplays streamingtjänst kan se ut i framtiden gällande TVOD och SVOD genom nya designlösningar. För att göra detta har en människo-centrerad designprocess använts för att undersöka attityder och beteenden kring TVOD. I undersökningen utreddes det hur konsumenter ser på TVOD och kombinationen med SVOD. Vad vill användarna ha, hur ser deras vanor och beteenden ut gällande hyrfilm i sin helhet? Examensarbetet har gjorts på plats hos Viaplay och med hjälp av Viaplays designteam. Utifrån djupintervjuer och användartester blev det möjligt att kartlägga en viss sannolikhet över hur användare ser på TVOD i kombination med SVOD och vilka designlösningar som är möjliga för att motivera och inspirera konsumenter till TVOD-köp. Undersökningen resulterade i en high-fidelity-prototyp som genomgick användartester där hypoteser testades med en, överlag, positiv utgång. / This report question as to how Viaplay as a streaming service might look like in the future regarding TVOD and SVOD through new design solutions. To do this, a human-centered design process was used to examine attitudes and behaviors upon TVOD. The study investigated how consumers comprehend TVOD and the combination with SVOD. What do users want, how do their habits and behavior look like concerning movie rentals as whole? The thesis has been executed on site at Viaplay with assistance from their design team. Based on in-depth interviews and user tests, it was possible to identify a probability of how users comprehend TVOD combined with SVOD and what design solutions are imaginable to motivate and inspire consumers to take part in TVOD-purchases. All in all, this thesis resulted in a high-fidelity prototype that underwent user tests in which hypotheses were tested with an, overall, positive outcome.

Detta examensarbete har varit att ta fram ett koncept för ett second-screenlager till företaget Headwebs filmuthyrningstjänst. Denna rapport visar på hur tre second-screenfunktioner kan appliceras i en video on demand-tjänst. De tre funktionerna som applicerades var att som användare via sin second-screen välja på vilken enhet man vill se sin film, kontrollera filmens playbackkontroller och välja ut små filmklipp från filmen och dela dessa på sociala medier. Resultatet blev ett lo-fi-prototyp som visar hur de tre funktionerna kan appliceras på Headwebs iPadtjänst och listar för- och nackdelar med de olika konceptet. / This thesis has been about developing a second screen layer for the company Headwebs movie rental service. This report shows how three second screen features can be applied in a video on demand service. The three functions that was applied was as a user to be able through its second screen choose which device you want to see the movie, control the movie's playback controls and select small movie clips from the movie and share them in social media. The result was a lo-fi prototype that shows how the functions can apply to Headweb iPadservice and lists the advantages and disadvantages of the various functions.

(in English): This thesis describes, how the internet and new media change the habits of viewers when watching audiovisual content. In a theoretical part there is briefly described an evolution of television as a medium in its every phase and also are there critically introduced new ways of video consumption. The practical part contains a qualitative sociological research in a form of deep interviews with 23 participants divided into groups by sociodemographic group. The thesis reflects difference in a media praxis between these sociodemographic groups and describes an influence of new media on audiovisual content consumption.