Multicast ABR Streaming for Guaranteed SDV Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional switched digital video (SDV) networks face challenges in providing a rich user experience due to their inability to accommodate multiple channel requests simultaneously, leading to unacceptable user experiences and inflexibility in video service offerings, especially with single bitrate content.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) and unicast ABR streaming, combined with suitable pipe modeling techniques, allows for the allocation of appropriate bandwidth to ensure guaranteed and non-guaranteed channels, as well as on-demand sessions, by determining edge QAM device assignments, modeling bandwidth pipes, and adjusting bitrates based on codec capabilities and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional SDV architecture uses binary bandwidth allocation, then bandwidth management is simple, but user experience deteriorates when bandwidth pipe cannot accommodate requested channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation where the system continuously monitors network conditions and adjusts channel allocation in real-time. The bandwidth manager dynamically determines which channels to allocate based on current network capacity, subscriber requests, and quality requirements, transforming the static binary allocation into a flexible dynamic system that adapts to changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of bandwidth allocation from binary (all-or-nothing) to continuous variable allocation. By introducing multiple allocation modes (guaranteed, non-guaranteed, on-demand) with different quality levels and bandwidth commitments, the system can adjust allocation parameters to match network conditions and user preferences, improving both reliability and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cable environments support single bitrate content, then system complexity is reduced, but user experience flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments content into multiple bitrate versions (e.g., high definition, standard definition, lower quality versions) and allocates different segments to different users based on their device capabilities, network conditions, and subscription levels. This segmentation allows the system to provide flexible viewing options without requiring complete re-encoding of all content, as only necessary bitrate variants need to be maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal content delivery framework that can serve multiple quality requirements from a single content source. By implementing adaptive bitrate streaming and multiple allocation modes, the same content infrastructure can simultaneously provide high-definition guaranteed channels, standard-definition non-guaranteed channels, and lower-quality on-demand content, making the system multi-functional without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If SDV networks allocate bandwidth for all channels simultaneously, then channel availability is improved, but bandwidth efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-allocating bandwidth for guaranteed channels that are always available, while preparing on-demand content in advance but only allocating actual bandwidth when requested. The bandwidth manager maintains ready-to-stream content for popular on-demand titles and pre-negotiates bandwidth reservations for guaranteed channels, so that when users request content, the allocation is already prepared or can be quickly activated without wasting bandwidth on unused channels.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing guaranteed channels in a switched digital video network using multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming. In one implementation, when a request for a guaranteed channel is received from a subscriber station (e.g., a set-top box or STB), a determination may be made as to which edge QAM device the requested channel is assigned to. A bandwidth pipe modeling may be performed for the assigned edge QAM to determine an optimal bitrate of a particular MABR stream that may be packed into the edge QAM's bandwidth pipe. Thereafter, the particular MABR stream may be joined to facilitate streaming of the requested channel via the QAM serving the subscriber station.