Abstract:

In this paper, we present a reliable, adaptive credit-based network protocol for video transport. To do so, we first derive a sufficient condition for ensuring the reliability of the receiver-based adaptive buffer allocation algorithm. We then present a fair buffer adaptation algorithm that ensures uniform increase in the delays experienced by the application protocol data units of bursty flows during congestion. The adaptive buffer allocation algorithm is then tuned to minimize the end-to-end delay and jitter for VBR encoded video streams. Although such a protocol does not provide delay or delay jitter guarantees, we demonstrate that due to the inherent nature of our algorithm, the network, rather than the source, shapes the traffic, which in turn yields smaller end-to-end delay for video frames as compared to source traffic shaping algorithms. On the other hand, to mask the effects of delay jitter on playback continuity, we present a simple technique for adapting the playback point at client sites. We experimentally evaluate the adaptive buffer allocation algorithm for a wide range of parameters and many network configuration and demonstrate it\'s adaptability and suitability for video transport.