Mosaic Channel Streaming Data for DASH Zapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In content supply systems using DASH, switching between channels results in unnecessary delays due to mismatched segment lengths and playback start times, which hinders quick channel zapping, and shortening segment lengths to reduce delay degrades encoding efficiency and increases data volume, leading to communication band issues and service quality degradation.
Innovation Solution
A content supply apparatus and method that generates mosaic CH streaming data by dividing video content into areas on a screen, creating a mosaic CH segment stream switchable between channels with minimal delay, using a USD with extended HTML elements to describe screen configuration, and multicasting/multicasting this stream to enable quick channel switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If segment lengths are shortened to reduce switching delay, then channel switching speed is improved, but encoding efficiency degrades and data volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is divided into multiple segments with synchronized boundaries across different channels. By segmenting the content at统一的时间点 (uniform time points) and using synchronized segment boundaries, the system enables quick channel switching without requiring extremely short segment lengths, thus avoiding encoding efficiency degradation while still achieving fast zapping.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and transmits segment boundary synchronization information in advance through the USD (User Service Description). This preliminary action allows the terminal to pre-synchronize its segment boundaries for multiple channels, so when channel switching occurs, the terminal can immediately switch at the next synchronized boundary without waiting for segment alignment, thereby reducing switching delay without shortening actual segment lengths.
2Loss of time
If segment lengths are shortened to reduce switching delay, then channel switching speed is improved, but data volume increases leading to communication band issues
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting video content at synchronized boundaries across channels rather than using uniformly short segments, the system maintains appropriate segment lengths for encoding efficiency while still enabling fast switching. This segmentation strategy avoids the need to transmit excessive amounts of data that would result from using many short segments throughout the entire stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The USD carries segment boundary synchronization information that is prepared in advance, allowing terminals to synchronize their segment structures beforehand. This preliminary synchronization eliminates the need for continuous transmission of synchronization data and avoids redundant data transmission, thereby controlling overall data volume while enabling fast channel switching.
3Adaptability or versatility
If HTTP-unicast is used for delivering segment streams, then content can be delivered through multiple channels, but channel switching causes unnecessary delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments video content into uniformly timed segments across all channels and synchronizes segment boundaries through the USD. This segmentation approach works seamlessly with HTTP-unicast delivery, allowing terminals to request segments from different channels and receive them without delay because all channels have segments aligned at the same time boundaries, enabling immediate switching at segment boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of segment boundary timing from channel-specific to globally synchronized across all channels. By standardizing the timing parameter of segment boundaries through USD-based synchronization, the system enables fast channel switching over HTTP-unicast without the delays that occur when channels have mismatched segment timing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a content supply apparatus, a content supply method, a program, a terminal apparatus, and a content supply system that allow to quickly check content delivered in DASH. A content supply apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a combining unit that generates mosaic CH streaming data by disposing and combining together video of a plurality of pieces of content delivered through viewing channels; a mosaic CH segment stream generating unit that generates a mosaic CH segment stream switchable to/from another mosaic channel at a minimum delay time, based on the mosaic CH streaming data; a USD generating unit that generates a USD having introduced therein a mosaic element related to a screen configuration of the mosaic CH segment stream; and a multicasting unit that multicasts the mosaic CH segment stream and the USD. The present disclosure can be applied to a system that streams content.