Receiver Accelerating Channel Change via Pre-buffered Reference Pictures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video compression technologies experience delays in channel change due to the need for set-top boxes to wait for transmission of parameters and reference pictures, leading to undesirable wait times for viewers during channel changes.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a second version of the video stream, containing non-discardable pictures from the first version, is pre-produced and stored in anticipation of channel changes, allowing immediate transmission with necessary parameters and reference pictures, enabling faster decoding and display of the new channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the set-top box waits for parameters and reference pictures to be transmitted before decoding, then decoding accuracy is improved, but channel change time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and buffering parameters and reference pictures before the channel change is actually requested. When a channel change occurs, these pre-prepared decoding elements are immediately available, eliminating the wait time while maintaining decoding accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The video stream is segmented into discrete parameters and reference picture components that can be independently fetched and buffered. This segmentation allows the set-top box to prepare decoding resources separately and efficiently, reducing the overall channel change time while ensuring all necessary components are available for accurate decoding.
2Speed
If all video programs are transmitted to the set-top box at once, then channel change speed is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary fetching of parameters and reference pictures for potential channel changes, but only transmits them on-demand when actually needed. This approach prepares data in advance without continuously transmitting all possible video programs, optimizing the balance between channel change speed and bandwidth usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the necessary parameters and reference pictures from the full video stream for buffering and transmission. Instead of transmitting entire video programs, only the essential decoding components are extracted and made available, significantly reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining fast channel change capability.
3Loss of time
If reference pictures are buffered in advance, then channel change time is reduced, but memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and buffers only the essential reference pictures that are actually needed for decoding, rather than storing all possible reference pictures from all channels. This selective extraction reduces memory usage while still providing the necessary reference material for fast channel changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system buffers a partial set of reference pictures - enough to enable fast channel changing in most scenarios, but not all possible reference pictures. This partial action approach achieves significant channel change time reduction without the excessive memory requirements of complete pre-buffering.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a receiver for an accelerated channel change is provided. The receiver receives a first version of a video stream for a first channel and causes display of video for the first version of the video stream for the channel. A second version of a video stream is received upon a channel change to a second channel, the second version including non-discardable pictures from the first version of the video stream. The receiver displays video for the second version of the video stream for the second channel. When a transition point is reached in the first version of the video stream for the second channel, a first version of a video stream for the second channel can be displayed.