Exploiting Packet Semantics in Real-time Multimedia Streaming

In this paper, we propose packet selection and significance based interval allocation algorithm for real-time streaming service. In real-time streaming of inter-frame (and layer) coded video, minimizing packet loss does not imply maximizing QoS. It is true that packet loss adversely affects the QoS but one single packet can have more impact than several other packets. We exploit the fact that the significance of each packet loss is different from the frame type it belongs to and its position within GoP. Using packet dependency and PSNR degradation value imposed on the video from the corresponding packet loss, we find each packet's significance value. Based on the packet significance, the proposed algorithm determines which packets to send and when to send them. The proposed algorithm is tested using publicly available MPEG-4 video traces. Our scheduling algorithm brings significant improvement on user perceivable QoS. We foresee that the proposed algorithm manifests itself in last mile connection of the network where intervals between successive packets from the source and to the destination are well preserved.