Performance Evaluation of Concurrent Multipath Video Streaming in Multihomed Mobile Networks

Abstract

High-quality real-time video streaming to users in mobile networks is challenging due to the dynamically changing nature of the network paths, particularly the limited bandwidth and varying end-to-end delay. In this paper, we empirically investigate the performance of multipath streaming in the context of multihomed mobile networks. Existing schemes that make use of the aggregated bandwidth of multiple paths can overcome bandwidth limitations on a single path but suffer an efficiency penalty caused by retransmission of lost packets in reliable transport schemes or path switching overheads in unreliable transport schemes. This work focuses on the evaluation of schemes to permit concurrent use of multiple paths to deliver video streams. A comprehensive streaming framework for concurrent multipath video streaming is proposed and experimentally evaluated, using current state-of-the-art H.264 Scalable Video Coding (H.264/SVC) and the next generation High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standards. It provides a valuable insight into the benefit of using such schemes in conjunction with encoder specific packet prioritisation mechanisms for quality-aware packet scheduling and scalable streaming. The remaining obstacles to deployment of concurrent multipath schemes are identified, and the challenges in realising HEVC based concurrent multipath streaming are highlighted.

Multihoming for Mobile Internet of Multimedia Things

“…Being purely browser based and not requesting any application or plug-in installation [59,60] thousands of simultaneous clients, there are few options in regard to testing the quality of the video streams, once the signaling is established [62]. Of course, we must mention the professional testing tools, used by mobile operators for optimizing their network, like TEMS [63] or Nemo Outdoor [64].…”

Priority Scheduling for Multipath Video Transmission in WMSNS

“…In addition, transmission of video data through a single path leads to congestion in the intermediate nodes that causes increasing the packet loss rate and end-to-end delay. It seems using multipath transmission for video data is more efficient than single path approach [5]. Some main advantages of using multipath routing techniques for video transmission over sensor networks are uniformly load distribution, improving the reliability, expanding the bandwidth, and delay reduction.…”

“…Most of data transmission protocols only use an optimal single path. To detect such path, some criteria should be considered like data transmission direction, the distance from the destination node, and the remaining energy level in each node [5]. In this sort of protocols, when a main path is identified between the source and destination nodes, the data would be transmitted through the distinguished path.…”

“…Using single path for transmission of a bandwidth demanding video traffic in a sensor network with limited energy nodes causes the energy of the nodes in the path to be consumed and finished sooner than other nodes of the network that exterminates the accessibility of the nodes in the neighbourhood of the path after a while. In addition, due to the error prone nature of wireless channels, using single path may decrease the reliability of data transmission in the network [5]. Unlike single path, multipath transmission increases bandwidth efficiency and reliability, and decreases end-to-end delay of video delivery over WMSNs.…”

“…Unlike single path, multipath transmission increases bandwidth efficiency and reliability, and decreases end-to-end delay of video delivery over WMSNs. A class of routing protocols entitled as "multiple path routing" presents a group of routing algorithms which allow every source node to identify some different paths toward the destination node for data transmission [3,5]. Using this technique, respecting the quality of each path, the network traffic can be shared on several paths.…”