Adaptive Video Delivery Decisions for Playback Interruptions
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Solution Overview
Problem
User devices lack awareness of the root cause of playback interruptions during content output, leading to suboptimal choices between switching to a different bit rate or server, which can result in unnecessary reductions in playback quality or increased start times.
Innovation Solution
User devices determine the cause of playback interruptions by collecting and analyzing network and server metrics, allowing them to make informed decisions to switch to a different bit rate or server accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the user device switches to a lower bit rate to avoid interruptions, then playback continuity is improved, but playback quality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having the playback component monitor metrics associated with content receipt and use this information to determine the cause of impairments. Based on this feedback loop, the device can intelligently select between switching bit rates or switching servers, rather than blindly reducing quality. The feedback mechanism enables the system to learn from playback conditions and make informed decisions about whether quality reduction is truly necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The determination component acts as an intermediary between the playback component and the content delivery system. It analyzes metrics and identifies the root cause of playback impairments, then guides the appropriate response. This intermediary layer prevents premature quality reduction by first determining whether server switching or bit rate adjustment is the correct solution, thereby preserving playback quality when possible.
2Reliability
If the user device switches to a different server to avoid interruptions, then playback continuity is improved, but start time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from monitored metrics to determine whether server switching is actually necessary. By analyzing the cause of playback impairments, the system can avoid unnecessary server switches that would increase start time. The feedback mechanism distinguishes between cases where server switching will help versus cases where it would only delay playback.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of always switching servers when interruptions occur, the system applies partial action by selectively switching only when the determination component identifies server-related issues as the root cause. This prevents excessive server switching that would unnecessarily increase start time while still addressing playback continuity problems when they are server-related.
3Reliability
If the user device switches to a different server when no other servers can support the best resolution, then playback continuity is improved, but playback quality is reduced more than necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism provides information about server capabilities and content availability, enabling the determination component to make informed decisions. When feedback indicates that other servers cannot support the best resolution, the system can recognize this and choose bit rate switching instead of server switching, thereby minimizing quality loss while maintaining playback continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its strategy based on real-time conditions. The determination component evaluates current server capabilities, content availability, and playback conditions to select the optimal response. This dynamic decision-making ensures that the system chooses bit rate switching over server switching when server switching would result in unnecessary quality loss, while still maintaining playback continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device may be configured to make a better choice between switching to a different content bit rate or switching to a different content server when responding to interruptions during content output, based on an awareness of a cause of the interruptions. Based on conditions associated with content delivery or information concerning playback quality at one or more user devices, an alternative bit rate ladder for encoding content may be determined. Such dynamic generation of an alternative bit rate ladder may enable fine tuning of load reductions in the content delivery network and optimized delivery of the encoded content to the user devices.