Network-status aware quality adaptation algorithm for improving real-time video streaming over the internet

Video streaming over Internet has been gaining momentum and several quality adaptation schemes have been reported to improve quality of the streamed videos. Most of these schemes focus on adjusting the video encoding rate to match certain network conditions. This paper presents a new quality adaptation algorithm for real-time video streaming over Internet. The proposed algorithm is based upon simultaneous adaptation of multiple key parameters such as video frame rate, resolution, and frame quality to achieve the best possible video quality and minimize possibility of service interruption in lossy networks. Furthermore, the current network status and motion of the streamed video sequence have also been taken into account throughout the adaptation process. A video conferencing test-bed which incorporates the Adobe Flash Real-Time Media Flow Protocol (RTMFP) is built and utilized to investigate the effect of various combinations of the video parameters under study on the quality of sample video clips streamed at slow, medium and fast motions. A quality-adaptation algorithm based on experimental investigations is then developed and its performance is assessed using both subjective and objective evaluations. The obtained results and observations demonstrate superior performance of the developed adaptation algorithm as compared to equivalent algorithms with fixed video quality settings at similar test conditions.