QoE-based packet dropper controllers for multimedia streaming in WiMAX networks

Abstract

The proliferation of broadband wireless facilities, together with the demand for multimedia applications, are creating a wireless multimedia era. In this scenario, the key requirement is the delivery of multimedia content with Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) support for thousands of users (and access networks) in broadband in the wireless systems of the next generation. . This paper sets out new QoE-aware packet controller mechanisms to keep video streaming applications at an acceptable level of quality in Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks. In periods of congestion, intelligent packet dropper mechanisms for IEEE 802.16 systems are triggered to drop packets in accordance with their impact on user perception, intra-frame dependence, Group of Pictures (GoP) and available wireless resources in service classes. The simulation results show that the proposed solutions reduce the impact of multimedia flows on the user´s experience and optimize wireless network resources in periods of congestion. . The benefits of the proposed schemes were evaluted in a simulated WiMAX QoS/QoE environment, by using the following well-known QoE metrics: Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Video Quality Metric (VQM), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and Mean Option Score (MOS).

QoE-based packet drop control for 3D-video streaming over wireless networks

“…This section discusses most of the important works that manage and control the quality level of multimedia content by adapting video packets to the current network conditions. QoE-control proposals for packet drops with various packet loss rates are outlined in [4] [5] and [6]. In [4] a networkbased packet loss visibility model is used to evaluate the visual importance of each H.264 packet inside the network.…”

“…Despite the frame differentiation, the proposed solution does not take into account the frame dependence. In [5] and [6] the authors introduced a simulation study to evaluate the QoE of users when a video is streamed from a source to a Mobile Station (MS) via a WiMAX Base Station (BS). This demonstrates the importance of QoE-control approaches.…”