Video Content Distribution Research Articles

New Approach to Inter-domain Multicast Protocols

IPTV broadcast channels and video content distribution are increasingly saturating network paths. New solutions based on inter-domain multicast protocols could contribute to the enhancement of multimedia content distribution over the Internet. The aim of this paper is to propose new capabilities for an existing inter-domain multicast protocol, the Protocol Independent Multicast-Sparse Mode. We describe the modified protocol and analyze its behavior using newly developed tools based on an open-source software simulator. The resulting protocol does not require topology information, which is advantageous for easier deployment. In addition, the adopted solution avoids inherent problems with inter-domain multicast routing, such as multiple paths and path asymmetries.

Chunk Distribution in Mesh-Based Large-Scale P2P Streaming Systems: A Fluid Approach

We consider large-scale mesh-based P2P systems for the distribution of real-time video content. Our goal is to study the impact that different design choices adopted while building the overlay topology may have on the system performance. In particular, we show that the adoption of different strategies leads to overlay topologies with different macroscopic properties. Representing the possible overlay topologies with different families of random graphs, we develop simple, yet accurate, fluid models that capture the dominant dynamics of the chunk distribution process over several families of random graphs. Our fluid models allow us to compare the performance of different strategies providing a guidance for the design of new and more efficient systems. In particular, we show that system performance can be significantly improved when possibly available information about peers location and/or peer access bandwidth is carefully exploited in the overlay topology formation process.

The Sidetracked 2008 YouTube Senate Campaign

ABSTRACT This article provides a systematic portrait of the YouTube presence of U.S. Senate candidates during the 2008 election cycle. The evidence does not support the theory that democratized production, editing, and distribution of video content is markedly changing the formats and producers of political content. This is apparent from the predominance of 30-second ads among both the most popular videos and the broad range of campaign videos. Although other potential forms of accountability remain unrealized, YouTube is facilitating candidates being held accountable for their own advertising. The 2008 findings are compared to 2006 findings with the same methodology.

Low complexity intra prediction algorithm for MPEG-2 to H.264/AVC transcoder

Transcoding MPEG-2 video into H.264/AVC format is highly necessary for the broad distribution of digital video contents to mobile terminals. Since H.264/AVC achieves great coding efficiency by employing computationally demanding algorithms, the computational complexity of the transcoder is one of technically challenging issues. The empirical results show that DCT energy trend in the decoded MB of MPEG-2 bitstream has strong correlation with the Intra prediction modes of H.264/AVC. Based on the relationship, the mode skipping rule of intra prediction mode decision in the H.264/AVC encoder part of the transcoder is proposed in this paper. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve on average 72.36% reduction in computational complexity, compared with that of the conventional transcoder.

A Hybrid Approach to Assess the Network Awareness of P2P-TV Applications

In this work, we develop a general methodology to assess the level of network awareness and friendliness of P2P-TV applications. The methodology is based on a combination of active and passive measurement techniques and can be applied to any P2P-TV system since it is designed to work considering such systems as a black-boxes. As an interesting case study, we then apply this methodology to PPLive, one of the most popular P2P-TV systems nowadays. Focusing on the video content distribution, we consider several per-path and per-peer metrics, investigating which of them mostly biases PPLive download preferences. Furthermore, in order to refine the picture of PPLive peer selection policy, we not only study the impact of different metrics in isolation, but also assess the joint impact of different metrics at the same time. Our main finding is that PPLive seems mainly bandwidth greedy, but does not show any preference toward peer proximity based on RTT delay; at the same time, our results also suggest that this choice alone may provide a nonnegligible level of geographical clustering among peers as a beneficial side effect.

Recoverable Privacy Protection for Video Content Distribution

This paper presents a method which attains recoverable privacy protection for video content distribution. The method is based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT), which generates scaling coefficients and wavelet coefficients. In our method, scaling coefficients, which can be regarded as a low-resolution image of an original image, are used for producing privacy-protected image. On the other hand, wavelet coefficients, which can be regarded as privacy information, are embedded into the privacy-protected image via information hiding technique. Therefore, privacy protected image can be recovered by authorized viewers if necessary. The proposed method is fully analyzed through experiments from the viewpoints of the amount of the embedded privacy information, the deterioration due to the embedding, and the computational time.

O Futuro no Passado: O Rádio e a TV Digitais na Contramão da Webergência

Este artigo critica a maneira como os meios de comunicação eletrônicos estão migrando para o mundo digital no Brasil, descumprindo as promessas de servirem de instrumentos de inclusão na sociedade da informação.

High-Performance Distributed Video Content Analysis with Parallel-Horus

As the world uses more digital video that requires greater storage space, grid computing is becoming indispensable for urgent problems in multimedia content analysis. Parallel-Horus, a support tool for applications in multimedia grid computing, lets users implement multimedia applications as sequential programs for efficient execution on clusters and grids, based on wide-area multimedia services.

An efficient resource management system for a streaming media distribution network

This paper examines the design and evaluation of a TV on Demand (TVoD) system, consisting of a globally accessible storage architecture where all TV content broadcast over a period of time is made available for streaming. The proposed architecture consists of idle Internet Service Provider (ISP) servers that can be rented and released dynamically as the client load dictates. This paper examines issues of resource management and content placement within this Video Content Distribution Network (VCDN). The existing placement algorithm is computationally expensive and in some cases, infeasible to execute within any reasonable length of time. This work proposes a number of new placement heuristics each of which attempts intelligently to reduce the search space so that only the best proxies are considered for replica placement. An extensive evaluation of these placement algorithms is carried out to identify a good placement algorithm without being computationally expensive.

A Time and a Place for Standards

Over the next decade, we will encounter at least three major opportunities where success will hinge largely on our ability to define appropriate standards. That’s because intelligently crafted standards that surface at just the right time can do much to nurture nascent industries and encourage product development simply by creating a trusted and reliable basis for interoperability. From where I stand, the three specific areas I see as particularly promising are: (1) all telecommunications and computing capabilities that work together to facilitate collaborative work; (2) hybrid computing/home entertainment products providing for the online distribution of audio and/or video content; and (3) wireless sensor and network platforms (the sort that some hope the 802.15.4 and ZigBee Alliance standards will ultimately enable). No doubt there will be others, but for the purposes of this discussion, these should suffice.

Video Content Management in Broadcast

Broadcasters, entertainment, and other media companies have already begun the migration from analog to digital production and distribution of video content. As this trend continues, so too does the recognition that effective mechanisms are necessary to catalog, manage, and provide access to relevant video content for collaboration in the production process. The implementation of high-speed internal networks and storage area networks (SAN) have demonstrated the efficiencies and productivity gains the digital environment can provide. Broadcasters of hard news, sports, and in long-form production are ingesting greater amounts of digital content and recognizing the benefits of working in this environment through distribution. Metadata is a key aspect in allowing this system to effectively manage the storage, use, and movement of digital files within a broadcast news and production facility. Technologies such as Screening Room provide the ability to begin indexing video content as close to, if not at the point of, content creation and allows for its management throughout the content life cycle. Entities in the broadcast and entertainment segments are evolving toward a digital video solution; this paper describes their implementation.

Credit-based source-adaptive multilayered video multicast

Spatial and temporal variations in network bandwidth constraints constitute serious challenges to the multicast distribution of real-time video content. This paper presents a video multicast algorithm that combines multilayered video encoding with feedback-based source adaptation in order to address varying bandwidth constraints in a multicast tree. The proposed algorithm uses a novel credit-based, hop-by-hop multicast flow control mechanism in conjunction with explicit rate congestion feedback. It achieves nearly optimal network utilization at the expense of packet losses that are isolated to low priority video content. The responsiveness, bandwidth utilization, scalability, video quality and fairness of the proposed mechanism are evaluated through simulations, and results suggest that the proposed mechanism is capable of providing a high quality video service in the presence of varying bandwidth constraints.

A tutorial on the Digital Audio-Visual Council (DAVIC) standardisation activity

International compatibility for the distribution of video and multimedia content through communication networks is something which has thus far not been achieved. New digital systems provide an opportunity for global compatibility between audio and video transmission and full multimedia communications incorporating text, data, audio, still and moving video in an interactive environment. It is with this commercial opportunity in mind that the Digital Audio-Visual Council (DAVIC) has been created and its first standards, DAVIC1.0 and 1.1, have been released. In Europe the European Commission is actively supporting the development of DAVIC through its Advanced Communications Technologies and Services (ACTS) initiative but DAVIC has widespread international support.