Streaming Media Service Description for Latency and Rebuffering Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in providing a consistent and optimal user experience for media presentations, particularly in managing latency and rebuffering during live events and on-demand content streaming.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a server device that provides service description data to client devices, which includes playback preferences such as desired end-to-end latency, playback rate adjustments, and rebuffering strategies. This allows client devices to modify media playback accordingly, ensuring an optimal user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If media data is streamed with low latency for live events, then user experience for live events is improved, but rebuffering may occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts playback parameters including latency targets and rebuffering strategies based on the type of media presentation. For live events, the system uses low latency playback mode with adjusted rebuffering thresholds, while for on-demand content, it switches to high quality mode with higher latency tolerance. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing low latency when needed for live events while accepting higher latency for non-time-sensitive content.
Solution Approach 2:
The service description data includes playback parameters that change based on presentation type, such as target latency values and rebuffering behavior settings. The system modifies these parameters dynamically - setting lower latency targets and adjusted rebuffering thresholds for live events versus higher latency tolerance for movies and TV shows. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize for low latency when required while maintaining reliability for other content types.
2Reliability
If media data is buffered extensively to prevent rebuffering, then playback reliability is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic buffer management where the buffer size and rebuffering thresholds are adjusted based on the media presentation type and network conditions. For live events, the system maintains smaller buffers with lower rebuffering thresholds to minimize latency, while for on-demand content, it uses larger buffers to prevent rebuffering. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between reliability and latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The service description data specifies different playback parameters for different content types, including target latency values and rebuffering behavior. The system changes these parameters dynamically - using lower latency targets and adjusted buffer management for live events versus higher latency tolerance and larger buffers for movies and TV shows. This parameter adaptation allows the system to achieve low latency when required while maintaining high reliability for other content.
3Ease of operation
If playback parameters are customized for different presentation types, then user experience is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically selects and applies appropriate playback parameters based on the media presentation type without requiring manual user configuration. The service description data includes presentation type information, and the system autonomously adjusts latency targets, buffer sizes, and rebuffering strategies according to whether the content is a live event, movie, or TV show. This self-service approach improves user experience through customized playback while avoiding the complexity of manual parameter management.
Solution Approach 2:
The service description data structure is designed to be universal and adaptable to different presentation types through a common framework. Rather than implementing separate complex systems for different content types, the system uses a unified service description format that can accommodate various playback requirements. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to handle live events, movies, and TV shows with appropriate parameter adjustments, improving user experience without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for receiving media data includes a memory configured to store media data of a media presentation and one or more processors implemented in circuitry and configured to retrieve a service description including data including one or more playback preferences for the media presentation, the playback preferences including a desired end-to-end latency; retrieve the media data of the media presentation via a network streaming protocol; and present the retrieved media data according to the one or more playback preferences and to achieve the desired end-to-end latency. For example, the playback preferences may specify acceleration or deceleration of playback rates in order to achieve the desired end-to-end latency. Thus, the device may accelerate playback if a buffer is filling too quickly, or decelerate playback if the buffer is emptying too quickly, to prevent buffer overflow or underflow and thereby avoid playback interruptions without changing the latency.