VIDEO Q-SAC

This covers:

• Optimizing data formats (i.e. codec) to efficiently transport the video, and the means of video adaptation (either at the video server or in the home network) to specific characteristics of the user's network and device.
• Enforcing QoS-enabled delivery of both video streams from service/content provider to a broad range of user devices (and possibly vice versa, e.g. surveillance cameras) and between user devices within the home network (e.g. alarm-triggering surveillance camera pre-empting digital television broadcast signal).
• QoS-enabled delivery of multimedia content in the context of conferencing systems, for which a thin client architecture will be developed.

Challenges

Despite recent commercialisation of digital TV in Flanders, e.g. over ADSL, a large amount of challenges remain, mainly in the home network:

• Communication of QoS relevant status information from the home network: current management tools do not offer information on available bandwidth in the last hop of the network connection (e.g. WLAN) to the service provider.
• Management of QoS reservation in a heterogeneous home network: QoS reservation in home network is still 'work in progress' (e.g. UPnP QoS v3), as well as interaction/integration with protocols for automatic remote management (e.g. TR-069). Enabling QoS in heterogeneous home networks is a largely unexplored research area.
• Video encoding and adaptation: universal coding for a service provider to limit the storage to a single encoded video format, in order to keep video streams manageable.
• Conference systems: A solution to integrate audio, video and desktop applications with low delay for multimedia conferencing. A thin client solution applicable in other domains than pure business conferences (e.g. entertainment in hospitals, multimedia systems for trains...).

User Research & Business Modelling

User research on real life aspects of video streaming at home: in a living lab, a selected panel of households will test a streaming video platform for use and preferences regarding quality, price etc. Business models will be researched related to quality monitoring and network optimization services, with special attention to Digital Rights Management.

Video Quality Measurement, Monitoring & Transport

To monitor the end-to-end Quality-of-Experience of videostreaming, an end-to-end video quality measurement platform will be developed, including distributed real-time video quality probes and a monitoring platform, aggregating information regarding the video user experience. The project focuses on H.264/AVC and SVC.

Encoding & Bitstream Adaptation

Scalable video coding techniques will be explored in the single-layered H.264/AVC and SVC. To cater for heterogeneous devices and networks, a bitstream adaptation engine will be integrated in the home gateway, together with a bitstream optimizer providing intelligent adaptation decisions. Lastly, delivery mechanisms for scalable bitstreams will be studied.

QoS Management in the Home Network

A framework will be developed to provide end-to-end parameterized QoS in a heterogeneous LAN with different layer 2 network technologies. This LAN will provide access to home automation clouds (see figure above) by means of a service gateway. Both local and remote management approaches will be combined to enable QoS delivery of both externally streamed video and local streams (e.g. from door bell camera).

Thin Client Conference Systems

Conference systems require "ultra low delay" networks. Standard thin-client devices are more orientated towards office applications and have limited audio and video support. We will develop a thin client architecture supporting not only those standard thin client applications, but also QoS multimedia services, meeting the low delay requirements.

Proof of Concept Demonstrator

A Proof of Concept Demonstrator will be developed, covering two major (video) streaming use cases:

• Video delivery to the home, including end-to-end monitoring of video delivery, and QoS enforcement, with bitstream encoding and adaptation for heterogeneous networks.
• A Thin Client based conference system.

Leaflet: Dutch, English