Adaptive Bitrate Video Encoding Using Maximum Bitrate Levels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current adaptive bitrate streaming systems face challenges in efficiently encoding and delivering video content across various resolutions, frame rates, and network conditions, as they often require a large number of bitrate levels, complicating the process of certifying playback devices and optimizing video quality.
Innovation Solution
The system encodes video streams at a limited number of maximum bitrate levels, determining optimal target bitrates using formulas or experimentation, and groups resolution and frame rate combinations based on these bitrates to simplify device certification and ensure high video quality across different playback devices and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adaptive bitrate streaming systems use a large number of bitrate levels to accommodate various resolutions and frame rates, then video quality can be optimized for different network conditions, but the complexity of certifying playback devices increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing a functional relationship between resolution, frame rate, and bitrate. Instead of treating each combination independently, the system uses a unified bitrate function that takes resolution and frame rate as inputs, thereby reducing the number of discrete bitrate levels needed while maintaining optimization across various network conditions and device capabilities.
2Device complexity
If the system uses a limited number of maximum bitrate levels, then device certification is simplified, but the ability to optimize video quality for specific resolution and frame rate combinations may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a single bitrate function that serves multiple purposes: it determines optimal bitrates for different resolutions, frame rates, and network conditions simultaneously. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain video quality optimization across diverse scenarios while using a limited set of bitrate levels, thereby simplifying device certification without sacrificing adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for streaming and playing back video having a variety of resolutions, frame rates, and/or sample aspect ratios, where the video streams are encoded at one of a number of maximum bit rate levels, in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor, and storage containing data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates, where a plurality of resolution and frame rates that are related to the same maximum bitrate form a maximum bitrate level. In addition, an encoding application configures the processor to encode a video stream as a plurality of video streams having different resolutions and frame rates, where the target maximum bitrate used during the encoding is selected based upon the maximum bitrate levels of the resolution and frame rate combinations indicated within the data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates.