HLS Streaming Server Priority Encoding for Packet Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
In scenarios with limited bandwidth, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocols face service interruptions and poor user experience due to packet loss during multicasting, especially affecting critical data blocks like index files.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that prioritize and encode data blocks in HLS streaming media data, with index files receiving high priority and Transport Stream files low priority, generating redundant codes and sending them sequentially based on priority using FIFO queues to protect important data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multicasting is used to reduce server load and improve scalability, then the system can handle large-scale concurrent users, but packet loss occurs more frequently causing service interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary encoding to generate redundant codes for each data block before transmission. These redundant codes are prepared in advance and stored, ready to be sent if packet loss occurs during multicasting, thus preventing service interruption without affecting the multicasting scalability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission parameter by introducing priority levels for different data blocks. Critical data blocks (like index files) are marked with higher priority and their redundant codes are transmitted first, while less critical data blocks have lower priority. This parameter change allows the system to maintain service continuity for critical functions even when bandwidth is limited
2Reliability
If redundant codes are sent for all data blocks to protect against packet loss, then service quality improves, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality levels of protection to different parts of the data stream. Critical data blocks (index files, playlist files) receive full redundant code protection with high priority transmission, while less critical data blocks (actual media content) receive reduced or no redundant code protection. This local differentiation of protection quality reduces overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining service quality for critical functions
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying uniform redundant code protection to all data blocks, the system applies partial action by selectively generating and transmitting redundant codes only for critical data blocks. This partial application of the protection mechanism significantly reduces bandwidth consumption while still providing adequate protection against packet loss for the most important data
3Loss of time
If critical data blocks like index files are protected with redundant codes, then terminal delay is reduced, but transmission complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data stream into distinct data blocks with different priority levels. Index files and other critical data blocks are segmented and marked as high priority, while media content is segmented and marked as low priority. This segmentation allows the transmission system to process and transmit redundant codes for critical blocks first, reducing terminal delay without requiring complex processing of all data uniformly
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for transmitting streaming media data, applied to a streaming server, including: determining priorities of data blocks of different types in streaming media data; respectively encoding the data blocks in the streaming media data to be broadcasted live currently to generate corresponding redundant codes; and after the streaming media data to be broadcasted live currently are completely sent, sequentially sending the redundant codes corresponding to the data blocks according to the priorities of the data blocks in the streaming media data from high to low.