Enhanced Manifest Files for Adaptive Streaming Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive streaming systems face inefficiencies in manifest file management, leading to increased latency and storage issues due to large manifest file sizes and inefficient data fetching processes, particularly when handling popular media files and varying client bandwidth and processing power.
Innovation Solution
The system generates enhanced manifest files that simplify data fetching by providing a single command for the amount of data to be fetched, reducing the need for multiple fetches and optimizing data transfer, allowing clients to stream the highest quality content without buffering or wasting bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a manifest file entry is created for each segment of a media file, then the client can dynamically switch between representations to accommodate available bandwidth, but the manifest file size increases, complicating file administration and decreasing storage efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media file into multiple representations (different qualities/resolutions) and organizes them in the manifest file with efficient data structures. Instead of creating redundant entries for each segment across all representations, the system uses a segmented approach where common information is shared and only differential data is stored for each representation, reducing overall manifest file size while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifest file structure is designed to serve multiple functions efficiently: it stores segmentation information, representation metadata, and adaptive switching capabilities in a unified format. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate files or redundant data structures, thereby decreasing overall manifest file size while maintaining dynamic switching capability.
2Measurement precision
If the manifest file size increases to accommodate detailed segment information, then the client can locate segments more precisely, but the platform latency increases as the manifest file must be downloaded before streaming can begin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts critical segmentation and representation information into a compact manifest file format that can be quickly downloaded and parsed. By taking out only the essential information needed for adaptive streaming (segment boundaries, representation qualities, URL patterns) and eliminating redundant data, the system achieves precise segment location capability with minimal manifest file size, thereby reducing download latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifest file is prepared in advance with pre-calculated segment information, byte ranges, and representation metadata. This preliminary action allows the client to receive a compact manifest file that contains all necessary information for immediate streaming without requiring additional real-time calculations or larger file sizes, thus reducing platform latency while maintaining precise segment location.
3Productivity
If multiple fetch commands are used to locate and fetch media segments, then the client can retrieve data in smaller chunks, but the initialization process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fetch operations into a single efficient fetch command by providing the client with byte range information and segment patterns in the manifest file. Instead of requiring separate fetch commands for each segment, the system combines the location and retrieval logic into one operation, reducing initialization complexity while maintaining efficient data retrieval through chunked downloading based on the provided segment information.
4Speed
If the system caches links to media segments across multiple servers in a CDN, then the delivery speed can be improved, but network congestion due to popular media requests causes delays in delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptive streaming where the manifest file contains information about multiple representations and segment locations across CDN servers. The system dynamically selects appropriate representations and segments based on real-time network conditions, client bandwidth, and server availability. This dynamic approach allows the system to switch between different CDN servers and representations to avoid congestion, maintaining high delivery speed even under network stress.
Data Source
AI summary
An online system more efficiently streams multimedia content over the Internet for play back on client devices with varying computing power and network bandwidths by generating enhanced manifest files that more efficiently identify suitable media representations of the multimedia content. Each media representation has multiple media segments according to predefined byte ranges and a manifest file, which identifies location of the media file, bitrates, resolution, byte range, total duration, and other metadata. The online system customizes a manifest file for a user based on various factors including device capacity, network connectivity type and geolocation of the user. The online system also generates manifest fetch commands, which more efficiently fetch media segments for streaming. In response to changes of streaming server and media file (e.g., increased popularity), the online system dynamically updates corresponding manifest files.