Bandwidth-Allocation Schemes for Variable-Bit-Rate MPEG Sources in ATM Networks

The complex traffic characteristics of variable-bitrate (VBR) video sources makes them diacult to accommodate in asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) networks. To efficiently transport these services will require both an understanding of the source traffic and novel network control schemes. We study the performance of variable-bandwidth-allocation schemes that estimate the required bandwidth for a VBR Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) video source using a simple prediction algorithm. We discuss the advantages of using a layered MPEG coder over the standard MPEG coder. Finally, we demonstrate a method for controlling a layered MPEG coder to reduce the effect of cell losses when compared to a standard MPEG coder.