Packet loss and jitter control for real-time MPEG video communications

Abstract

Real-time video communication over a packet switching network is subject to packet loss and random delay variation called jitter. For compressed video, packet loss can cause significant performance degradation, and for continuous video regeneration, packet jitter can cause discontinuity and additional packet loss. Therefore, for good reception quality of video, a low jitter and a low loss are required. In this paper, a real-time video transport protocol on top of the UNIX UDP/IP is proposed. To reduce the delay jitter and packet loss effects, the protocol uses new mechanisms of such as selective packet discard, buffering, and constant rate playback for compressed MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) video. Test results over Ethernet and under heavy traffic conditions show satisfactory performance which is unnoticeable from the ideal case.