NeTS: Small: Flexible Delivery of Streaming Video using Network-Aware MD-FEC Coding

流媒体视频预计将成为？杀手？未来十年，互联网和当前的无线技术能否满足下一代网络用户对多媒体需求的爆炸性增长，将取决于互联网和当前无线技术的发展。该项目旨在开发编码和分发机制，以便以可扩展和有效的方式通过网络传输视频，这对于应对这一挑战至关重要。特别是，该项目研究了一个广泛的理论框架的设计，以及具体的机制，使有效地提供流媒体视频通过使用视频分发网络（VDNs）和？网络感知？多描述前向纠错（MD-FEC）编码。MD-FEC可以非常有效地最大限度地减少视频质量的整体失真时，在一个典型的网络环境中，经历随时间变化的带宽波动和随机数据包丢失交付流视频。该项目还探讨了如何将网络编码与MD-FEC编码集成，以提高实时视频流的性能。这项跨学科研究是通过一个跨学科团队的紧密结合来完成的，该团队汇集了视频编码和信息理论领域的专业知识;以及网络建模，优化和仿真。该研究项目的结果有望为未来如何通过互联网和最后一跳无线网络提供流媒体直播视频的最佳性能提供关键见解。此外，当局亦正积极将研究结果纳入有关的研究生课程，并让本科生参与这些研究活动。

Streaming video is envisioned to become the ?killer? networking application in the coming decade, and may determine whether the Internet and the current wireless technologies will live up to the explosive growth of multimedia demands of the next-generation network users. This project aims to develop coding and distribution mechanisms for transferring video over networks in a scalable and effective manner, which will be critical in meeting this challenge. In particular, the project investigates the design of a broad theoretical framework as well as specific mechanisms that would enable efficient delivery of streaming video through the use of video distribution networks (VDNs) and ?network-aware? Multiple Description Forward Error Correction (MD-FEC) coding. MD-FEC can be very effective in minimizing the overall distortion in video quality when delivering streaming video in a typical network environment that experiences time-varying bandwidth fluctuations and random packet losses. The project also explores how network coding can be integrated with MD-FEC coding to enhance live video streaming performance. This cross-disciplinary research is being done through a closely-integrated effort by an interdisciplinary team bringing together expertise in the areas of video coding and information theory; and network modeling, optimization and simulation. The results of this research project are expected to provide key insights on how streaming live video should be delivered for optimal performance over the Internet and last-hop wireless networks in the future. Proactive efforts are also being taken towards integrating the research findings into related graduate courses, and involving undergraduates in these research activities.