Differential Media Presentation Descriptions for DASH Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
In live streaming using Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), the continuous delivery of segment information leads to wasteful server and client computation time and bandwidth usage due to the repeated sending of unchanged or mostly unchanged media presentation descriptions, which hampers seamless transitions and increases resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a differential based media presentation description system where servers send only the new information required by clients, using patches to update an in-memory media presentation description, reducing the need for full updates and optimizing bandwidth and processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full media presentation descriptions are sent continuously to clients, then clients receive complete stream information for seamless playback, but server and client computation time and bandwidth are wasted due to repeated transmission of unchanged information
Solution Approach 1:
The media presentation description is segmented into two parts: a differential portion containing only new information and a reference portion containing unchanged information. This segmentation allows clients to receive only the necessary updates while maintaining the ability to reconstruct complete stream information for seamless playback, thereby reducing server and client computation time and bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
A differential media presentation description is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the server and client. This differential description acts as a mediator that conveys only the changes in stream information, allowing clients to update their local copies efficiently without receiving redundant data, thus resolving the contradiction between complete information delivery and resource efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If full media presentation descriptions are transmitted on each polling request, then clients have complete information for program start over and DVR windows, but bandwidth is wasted because very little new information is presented
Solution Approach 1:
The media presentation description is divided into differential and reference portions. The differential portion contains only the new information needed for program start over and DVR windows functionality, while the reference portion contains unchanged information. This segmentation enables clients to maintain adaptability features while significantly reducing bandwidth consumption by transmitting only the necessary changes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of transmitting the complete media presentation description on each polling request, the system transmits only the partial differential information that is actually new and necessary. This partial action approach maintains the functionality for program start over and DVR windows while avoiding the excessive bandwidth consumption that would result from transmitting full descriptions repeatedly.
3Loss of information
If repeated full media presentation descriptions are sent, then clients can access all previous segments and initialization information, but server computation time is wasted processing and sending unchanged information
Solution Approach 1:
The media presentation description is segmented into differential and reference portions. The differential portion contains only the new information that requires server processing, while the reference portion contains unchanged initialization information and previous segments. This segmentation allows clients to access all necessary information while significantly reducing server computation time by processing only the differential changes rather than reconstructing the entire description.
Solution Approach 2:
The differential media presentation description serves as an intermediary that bridges the need for complete information access and server productivity. It allows clients to retrieve stream initialization information and previous segments through the reference portion while the server only needs to process and transmit the differential changes, thereby maintaining information availability while improving server computation efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some embodiments, a method receives a request from a client including first status information. The status information was included in a first instance of a media presentation description for a first set of segments of a stream of a media presentation and identified a break from the stream of the media presentation for insertion of supplemental content. The method uses the first status information to identify supplemental content for the client. A second instance of the media presentation description is sent for at least a portion of the supplemental content. The second instance of the media presentation description includes second status information that reverts the client back to the stream of the media presentation after insertion of the supplemental content.