Multi-Codec ABR Ladder Design for Streaming Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) streaming systems generate separate encoding ladders for each codec, leading to inefficiencies such as imbalanced rendition allocation, suboptimal coding gains, and reduced quality due to the lack of switching capabilities between H.264 and HEVC codecs, resulting in higher operational costs and lower quality delivery.
Innovation Solution
The development of an optimal multi-codec ABR streaming system that generates encoding ladders considering quality-rate functions, network bandwidth distribution, and client types, allowing for seamless switching between H.264 and HEVC codecs, thereby optimizing rendition allocation and improving overall quality and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate encoding ladders are generated for each codec independently, then complete codec-specific coverage is achieved, but encoding costs and delivery costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple codec-specific encoding ladders into a unified multi-codec encoding ladder. Instead of generating separate ladders for H.264 and HEVC codecs, the system creates a single ladder that contains video streams encoded with multiple codecs, allowing clients to switch between codecs and bitrates seamlessly. This consolidation reduces the total number of streams needed while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified encoding ladder serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides H.264 codec streams for legacy clients, HEVC codec streams for modern clients, and enables bitrate adaptation across all clients. Each video stream in the ladder is tagged with codec information, allowing the streaming system to universally serve diverse client requirements from a single source.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate encoding ladders are generated for each codec, then full bitrate range coverage is achieved, but the number of streams required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines streams from different codec ladders into a unified structure. By merging H.264 and HEVC streams into a single multi-codec ladder, the system reduces the total quantity of streams while maintaining full bitrate range coverage. Clients can access appropriate bitrate streams regardless of codec preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified encoding ladder segments streams by codec type and bitrate level, organizing them in a structured manner that facilitates efficient client selection. Each stream is clearly identified with its codec and bitrate characteristics, enabling clients to quickly locate suitable streams without navigating through redundant options.
3Ease of manufacture
If independent codec ladders are used, then encoding simplicity is maintained, but switching capabilities between codecs are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The streaming client is designed with multi-functionality to handle the unified multi-codec ladder. It can automatically detect available codecs, select appropriate streams based on device capabilities and network conditions, and switch between H.264 and HEVC codecs seamlessly. This universal client design enables codec switching while maintaining encoding simplicity on the server side.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified encoding ladder acts as an intermediary structure between the encoding process and client playback. It translates multiple codec-specific requirements into a single organized format, allowing simple encoding processes to produce streams that support complex codec switching capabilities. The ladder structure mediates between encoding simplicity and playback versatility.
4Manufacturing precision
If separate encoding ladders are generated for each codec, then codec optimization is achieved, but overall quality delivery decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified multi-codec encoding ladder applies local quality optimization by allowing different quality characteristics for different codec streams at the same bitrate level. H.264 and HEVC streams can have different encoding parameters optimized for their respective codec characteristics, while the unified structure ensures that the best quality stream is presented to each client based on their capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts quality delivery by enabling clients to switch between codecs and bitrates in real-time based on network conditions and device performance. The unified ladder provides a dynamic pathway for quality adjustment that is more flexible than static codec-specific ladders, allowing clients to maintain optimal quality across varying conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for the creation of multi-codec encoding profiles (or encoding ladders), which define quality and bitrate for each of the streams made available to clients for streaming a video. In particular, optimization techniques may take into account a quality rate function of each of the codecs when determining the encoding ladder. Additional considerations may include a network bandwidth distribution and/or a distribution of client types.