Client-Side QoE Management for SVC Video Streaming: An FSM Supported Design Approach

Abstract

HTTP adaptive streaming (HAS) which provides the flexibility of video bit-rate adjustments, is becoming the de facto framework for live and on-demand video streaming services. The flexibility of HAS is further empowered by the scalable video coding (SVC) technique which allows low overhead quality upgradations of transmitted video segments. In this paper, we present a client-side finite-state machine (FSM) supported quality of experience (QoE) centric video bit-rate adaptation and management mechanism. The proposed strategy simultaneously manages three important QoE verticals: 1) providing stutter-free video viewing experience; 2) minimizing flickers in video outputs by controlling and smoothing the rates of encoding quality switches over time; and 3) maximizing aggregate video quality over a video playout session. Based on careful consideration of these QoE verticals, the management policy dynamically decides whether to download a new segment or upgrade the quality of an already downloaded segment in the playout buffer. We have implemented and evaluated the performance of our proposed framework in a multi-client SVC video steaming test-bed. Conducted experiments using real-world network traces reveal that the proposed strategy is able to outperform other state-of-the-art adaptive streaming techniques and deliver satisfactory QoE even in the face of highly varying channel conditions.