Adaptive Streaming Bitrate Switching for Variable Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) standards are less compatible with managing variable bitrate (VBR) streams, leading to inefficiencies in delivering media content and video distortions due to network congestion, as they are primarily designed for constant bitrate (CBR) streams.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining a target quality for media content, detecting content types, determining bitrates for each type, and encoding segments using these bitrates to support VBR streams, with a media presentation description providing bitrate and quality information for adaptive streaming, allowing seamless adaptation to network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If DASH standard is configured to support CBR streams, then delivery efficiency is improved, but compatibility with VBR streams deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bitrate selection by allowing the client to choose from multiple bitrate representations based on real-time network conditions. The system dynamically adjusts the bitrate of media segments delivered to the client, transitioning from static CBR to adaptive bitrate streaming that can handle VBR content efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bitrate parameter from constant to variable by introducing multiple representation layers with different bitrates. The encoding process applies different bitrates to different segments based on content complexity, and the delivery system selectively transmits segments at appropriate bitrates based on network conditions, resolving the contradiction between delivery efficiency and VBR compatibility.
2Ease of operation
If RTSP/RTP is used for real-time streaming, then frequent communication between client and server is improved, but video distortion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the media content into multiple independently decodable segments that can be delivered separately through HTTP. This segmentation allows the system to deliver only the necessary segments based on network conditions without requiring continuous real-time communication, thereby reducing video distortion while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary representation layer that translates between the source VBR stream and the delivered segments. This intermediary process pre-processes the content into multiple bitrate versions, allowing the client to select appropriate segments without real-time negotiation, thus eliminating video distortion caused by RTSP/RTP's real-time constraints.
3Productivity
If data is dropped due to network congestion in RTSP/RTP, then playback stoppage is prevented, but video quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary encoding of the media content into multiple bitrate representations before delivery. This pre-processing creates a library of segments at different quality levels, allowing the client to select and download appropriate segments in advance based on network conditions, ensuring both playback continuity and acceptable video quality without real-time data dropping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic segment selection where the client adaptively chooses which segments to download based on current network conditions and buffered content. This dynamic approach replaces the static RTSP/RTP data dropping mechanism, maintaining playback continuity while preserving video quality by selectively downloading higher quality segments when network conditions permit.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for adaptive streaming of a media content, wherein the method comprises receiving a media presentation description that provides presentation information for the media content, determining a plurality of representations from the media presentation description that comprise segments that are provided with bitrate and quality information, selecting a media segment that meets a desired quality level to download from one of the representations, updating a buffered media time for downloading the media segment, and determining when to switch to another representation by comparing the buffered media time to a switching threshold value.