Real-Time Internet Video Using Error Resilient Scalable Compression and TCP-Friendly Transp.pdfVIP

172 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MULTIMEDIA, VOL. 1, NO. 2, JUNE 1999 Real-Time Internet Video Using Error Resilient Scalable Compression and TCP-Friendly Transport Protocol Wai-tian Tan and Avideh Zakhor, Member, IEEE Abstract—We introduce a point to point real-time video trans- both schemes are typically unable to match the desired rate mission scheme over the Internet combining a low-delay TCP- instantaneously so that output buffering becomes necessary, friendly transport protocol in conjunction with a novel com- adding to total latency. Yet another possible approach to flow pression method that is error resilient and bandwidth-scalable. Compressed video is packetized into individually decodable pack- control is transcoding, but it results in increased computational ets of equal expected visual importance. Consequently, relatively complexity and delay. constant video quality can be achieved at the receiver under Lack of error resilience results in error propagation, and lossy conditions. Furthermore, the packets can be truncated to hence widely varying video quality as a function of time. instantaneously meet the time varying bandwidth imposed by a Current approaches to mitigate the effects of error propagation TCP-friendly transport protocol. As a result, adaptive flows that are friendly to other Internet traffic are produced. Actual Internet include error control mechanisms at the transport level. This experiments together with simulations are used to evaluate the typically takes the form of retransmissions or forward err