Live Video Streaming Latency Reduction via Dynamic Frame Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing live video streaming technologies suffer from high latency and reduced quality due to network delays and bandwidth limitations, especially in low-bandwidth networks, leading to undesirable frame reception latency and potential data loss.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that includes a storage unit for multimedia data signals, an index assignment unit, a latency calculating unit, and an elimination unit to manage the transmission of intra-coded frames (I-frames) and inter-coded frames (P-frames), where the latency count is calculated and used to eliminate un-transmitted P-frames before resuming transmission from the next I-frame, thereby reducing latency and maintaining video quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If fixed-interval video segments are used for HTTP streaming, then network delivery is simplified, but latency increases to at least the duration of one video segment interval
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is divided into two types of segments: fixed-interval segments for normal playback and event-triggered segments for real-time updates. This segmentation allows the system to use simple fixed intervals most of the time while inserting event-triggered segments when latency needs to be reduced, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and low latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The segment interval is made dynamic by introducing event-triggered segments that can interrupt the fixed-interval schedule. When a significant event occurs (such as a goal in sports broadcasting), an event-triggered segment is generated and transmitted immediately, allowing the system to adapt to real-time requirements while maintaining the overall fixed-interval structure for normal operation.
2Productivity
If compressed video frames are buffered and transmitted over network, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but latency increases due to buffering and network traffic
Solution Approach 1:
Video frames are pre-compressed into I-frames and P-frames at the source, and I-frames are transmitted at regular intervals as anchors. This preliminary compression and periodic transmission of complete frames allows the system to maintain efficient bandwidth utilization while providing reference points that enable faster recovery and reduced latency for subsequent frames.
Solution Approach 2:
When a significant event occurs, the system skips the normal buffered transmission schedule and immediately transmits event-triggered segments containing the latest video data. This rushing through of the buffer for critical events reduces latency significantly while maintaining efficient bandwidth utilization during normal operation through the fixed-interval schedule.
3Loss of energy
If intermediate frames are transmitted to reduce data size, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but video quality deteriorates if key-frames are not received
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is segmented into I-frames (key-frames) transmitted at fixed intervals and P-frames (intermediate frames) transmitted in between. This segmentation ensures that complete reference frames are periodically available while utilizing the bandwidth efficiency of predictive coding for intermediate frames, balancing bandwidth consumption and decoding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
I-frames are transmitted at regular intervals as cushioning reference points before potential transmission issues occur. These periodically transmitted complete frames provide fallback references that ensure video decoding reliability even if some P-frames are lost or delayed, cushioning against potential quality deterioration.
4Productivity
If video segments are made longer to reduce segmentation overhead, then network efficiency improves, but latency increases due to longer segment duration
Solution Approach 1:
The segment duration is made dynamic by allowing event-triggered segments to interrupt the fixed-interval schedule. When events occur, shorter event-triggered segments are generated immediately rather than waiting for the next fixed interval, reducing the effective segment duration for critical content while maintaining longer fixed intervals for normal operation to preserve network efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The video stream is segmented into fixed-interval segments and event-triggered segments of different lengths. This dual segmentation strategy allows the system to use longer segments for normal content (improving network efficiency) while inserting shorter event-triggered segments when needed (reducing latency for important content).
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system and method for providing live streaming of video data. The system includes: a storage unit to store a plurality of waiting to transmit a set of multimedia data signals from one I-frame to next I-frame; an index assignment unit to assign an index number to each multimedia data signal to be transmitted; a latency calculating unit to calculate latency count in transmission upon transmission of the set of multimedia data signals such that a predefined condition is checked, by a conditioning unit; a transmitting unit adapted to transmit the set of multimedia data signals, I-frames, inter-coded frames (P-frames) based on calculated latency count; and an elimination unit configured to, when the latency count is equal to the predefined condition, eliminate at least same number of un-transmitted P-frames prior to an immediate next I-frame waiting to be transmitted in the storage unit.