Understanding and Improving the Performance of Streaming Video Services

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My research program studies problems related to measuring, understanding and improving the performance of streaming video services, including the WiFi networks that often limit their successful delivery. The goal of these efforts is to provide tangible benefits to those who deploy such systems and their end users.*** There are a wide variety of services that stream video over the Internet. Some of these include: Amazon, Apple, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, major sports leagues, and television networks (e.g., CBC, CTV, Global, and TSN). Streaming video now constitutes more than 50% of Internet traffic and as these services continue to expand and supplant traditional television services, the number of servers required to supply content keeps growing. Therefore, designing, implementing and improving the performance of these services is critical to improving the user's experience and to maintaining or reducing the cost of owning, operating, and subscribing to such services.*** Although video and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) continue to add resources to and improve their infrastructure, many devices used to watch streaming video are limited by the WiFi network used to connect to the Internet. Recent research has shown that the performance of the home WiFi network and not the ISP link often limits the rate at which data can be obtained from the Internet. The problem is that when many access points and devices operate within the same vicinity each device suffers because contention and interference reduce the available bandwidth of the wireless channel.*** Improvements in streaming video service infrastructure and WiFi networks are both required to ensure a good quality of experience for users while streaming videos. Our research will break new ground in methods for improving the performance of video streaming services and in devising techniques for measuring, characterizing, understanding and improving the performance of WiFi networks.*** Benefits to the field include: 1) a detailed, in depth understanding of the important factors that impact the performance of streaming video services and WiFi networks, 2) significant improvements in their performance, and 3) the creation of new tools and infrastructure for use by other researchers to measure, study and further improve video services and WiFi networks. Benefits to Canada will be the efficient delivery of higher quality video streaming services at lower costs and increased demand for high-bandwidth ISP services. This will help ISPs as well as content providers (e.g., Rogers, Bell, CBC, CTV, TSN, Sportsnet and others) who want to increase their streaming video presence and to retain and attract customers. Additionally, our research to improve WiFi network performance for streaming video will also benefit the millions of Canadians who rely on WiFi networks every day for business and leisure.