A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> In this paper, we propose a novel transport protocol that effectively utilizes available bandwidth and diversity gains provided by heterogeneous, highly lossy paths. Our Multi-Path LOss-Tolerant (MPLOT) protocol can be used to provide significant gains in the goodput of wireless mesh networks, subject to bursty, correlated losses with average loss-rates as high as 50%, and random outage events. MPLOT makes intelligent use of erasure codes to guard against packets losses, and a Hybrid-ARQ/FEC scheme to reduce packet recovery latency, where the redundancy is adaptively provisioned into both proactive and reactive FECs. MPLOT uses dynamic packet mapping based on current path characteristics, and does not require packets to be delivered in sequence to ensure reliability. We present a theoretical analysis of the different design choices of MPLOT and show that MPLOT makes an optimal trade-off between goodput and delay constraints. We test MPLOT, through simulations, under a variety of test scenarios and show that it effectively exploits path diversity in addition to aggregating path bandwidths. We also show that MPLOT is fair to single-path protocols like TCP-SACK. <s> BIB001 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP) is an unreliable transport layer protocol with a congestion control mechanism used for multimedia streaming. In order to use multiple network interfaces to transmit streaming data smoothly, a Multi-Path Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (MP-DCCP) is proposed and presented in this paper. Video streaming transmission through multi-path faces three problems: (1) out-of-ordering packets at the receiver side, (2) conditions of paths are changed anytime, and (3) the importances of frames/packets are different. The first problem may let video streaming data be delivered to the application layer too late, especially for the live streaming data. The second and third problems may let a packet be scheduled to an unsuitable path for transmission. Since importances of video streaming frames/packets are different, it should consider how to schedule the transmission of frames/packets properly. For example, an important frame/packet should be transmitted in the more reliable path. In order to resolve these three problems, a QoS-aware Order Prediction Scheduling (QOPS) scheme for MP-DCCP is proposed in this paper. QOPS estimates packets' arrival orders at the receive side through these multiple paths before packets are scheduled into the transmission at the sender side. From simulation results, we proved that the packets' out-of-ordering problem in MPDCCP can be improved using our proposed QOPS scheme. <s> BIB002 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> This paper investigates mobile video delivery in a heterogeneous wireless network from a video server to a multi-homed client. Joint source-channel coding (JSCC) has proven to be an effective solution for video transmission over bandwidth-limited, error-prone wireless networks. However, one major problem with the existing JSCC approaches is that they consider the network between the server and the client as a single transport link. The situation becomes more complicated in the context of multiple available links because involving a low-bandwidth, highly lossy, or long-delay wireless network in the transmission will only degrade the video quality. To address the critical problem, we propose a novel flow rate allocation-based JSCC (FRA-JSCC) approach that includes three key phases: (1) forward error correction redundancy estimation under loss requirement, (2) source rate adaption under delay constraint, and (3) dynamic rate allocation to minimize end-to-end video distortion. We present a mathematical formulation of JSCC to optimize video quality over multiple wireless channels and provide comprehensive analysis for channel distortion. We evaluate the performance of FRA-JSCC through emulations in Exata and compare it with the existing schemes. Experimental results show that FRA-JSCC outperforms the competing models in improving the video peak signal-to-noise ratio as well as in reducing the end-to-end delay. <s> BIB003 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> Modern mobile devices are equipped with multiple network interfaces, including 3G/LTE and WiFi. Bandwidth aggregation over LTE and WiFi links offers an attractive opportunity of supporting bandwidth-intensive services, such as high-quality video streaming, on mobile devices. However, achieving effective bandwidth aggregation in mobile environments raises several challenges related to deployment, link heterogeneity, network fluctuation, and energy consumption. We present GreenBag, an energy-efficient bandwidth aggregation middleware that supports real-time data-streaming services over asymmetric wireless links, requiring no modifications to the existing Internet infrastructure and servers. GreenBag employs several techniques, including medium load balancing, efficient segment management, and energy-aware mode control, to resolve such challenges. We implement a prototype of GreenBag on Android-based mobile devices which hosts, to the best knowledge of the authors, the first LTE-enabled bandwidth aggregation prototype for energy-efficient real-time video streaming. Our experiment results in both emulated and real-world environments show that GreenBag not only achieves good bandwidth aggregation to provide QoS in bandwidth-scarce environments but also efficiently saves energy on mobile devices. Moreover, energy-aware GreenBag can minimize video interruption while consuming 14-25% less energy than the non-energy-aware counterpart in real-world experiments. <s> BIB004 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> The massive proliferation of wireless infrastructures with complementary characteristics prompts the bandwidth aggregation for Concurrent Multipath Transfer (CMT) over heterogeneous access networks. Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is the standard transport-layer solution to enable CMT in multihomed communication environments. However, delivering high-quality streaming video with the existing CMT solutions still remains problematic due to the stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements and path asymmetry in heterogeneous wireless networks. In this paper, we advance the state of the art by introducing video distortion into the decision process of multipath data transfer. The proposed distortion-aware concurrent multipath transfer (CMT-DA) solution includes three phases: 1) per-path status estimation and congestion control; 2) quality-optimal video flow rate allocation; 3) delay and loss controlled data retransmission. The term ‘flow rate allocation’ indicates dynamically picking appropriate access networks and assigning the transmission rates. We analytically formulate the data distribution over multiple communication paths to minimize the end-to-end video distortion and derive the solution based on the utility maximization theory. The performance of the proposed CMT-DA is evaluated through extensive semi-physical emulations in Exata involving H.264 video streaming. Experimental results show that CMT-DA outperforms the reference schemes in terms of video peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), goodput, and inter-packet delay. <s> BIB005 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> The growing availability of various wireless access technologies promotes increasing demand for mobile video applications. Stream control transmission protocol (SCTP)-based concurrent multipath transfer (CMT) improves the wireless video delivery performance with its parallel transmission and bandwidth (BW) aggregation features. However, the existing CMT solutions deployed at the transport layer only are not accurate enough due to lower layer uncertainties, such as variations of the wireless channel. In addition, CMT-based video transmission may use excessive BW in comparison with the popular Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)-based flows, which results in unfair sharing of network resources. This paper proposes a novel cross-layer fairness-driven (CL/FD) SCTP-based CMT solution (CMT-CL/FD) to improve video delivery performance, while remaining fair to the competing TCP flows. CMT-CL/FD utilizes a cross-layer approach to monitor and analyze path quality, which includes wireless channel measurements at the data-link layer and rate/BW estimations at the transport layer. Furthermore, an innovative window-based mechanism is applied for flow control to balance delivery fairness and efficiency. Finally, CMT-CL/FD intelligently distributes video data over different paths depending on their estimated quality to mitigate packet reordering and loss, under the constraint of TCP-friendly flow control. Simulation results show how CMT-CL/FD outperforms existing solutions in terms of both video delivery performance and TCP-friendliness. <s> BIB006 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> The proliferating wireless infrastructures with complementary characteristics prompt the bandwidth aggregation for concurrent video transmission in heterogeneous access networks. Multipath TCP (MPTCP) is an important transport-layer protocol recommended by IETF to integrate different access medium (e.g., Cellular and Wi-Fi). This paper investigates the problem of mobile video delivery using MPTCP in heterogeneous wireless networks with multihomed terminals. To achieve the optimal quality of real-time video streaming, we have to seriously consider the path asymmetry in different access networks and the disadvantages of the data retransmission mechanism in MPTCP. Motivated by addressing these critical issues, this study presents a novel quAlity-Driven MultIpath TCP (ADMIT) scheme that integrates the utility maximization based Forward Error Correction (FEC) coding and rate allocation. We develop an analytical framework to model the MPTCP-based video delivery quality over multiple communication paths. ADMIT is able to effectively integrate the most reliable access networks with FEC coding to minimize the end-to-end video distortion. The performance of ADMIT is evaluated through extensive semi-physical emulations in Exata involving H.264 video streaming. Experimental results show that ADMIT outperforms the reference transport protocols in terms of video PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio), end-to-end delay, and goodput. Thus, we recommend ADMIT for streaming high-quality mobile video in heterogeneous wireless networks with multihomed terminals. <s> BIB007 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> Delivering high-definition (HD) wireless video under stringent delay constraint is challenging with regard to the limited network resources and high transmission rate. Concurrent multipath transfer (CMT) using stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) exploits the multihoming feature of mobile devices to establish associations with different access networks. In this paper, we study the multihomed HD video communication with SCTP over heterogeneous wireless networks. The existing CMT schemes mainly treat the traffic data in a content-agnostic fashion, and thus cannot effectively leverage the scarce wireless resources to maximize the perceived video quality. To address this critical issue, we propose a content-aware CMT (CMT-CA) solution that featured by the unequal frame-level scheduling based on estimated video parameters and feedback channel status. First, we develop an analytical framework to model the total distortion of parallel video transmission over multiple wireless access networks. Second, we introduce a joint congestion control and data distribution scheme to minimize the total distortion based on online quality evaluation and Markov decision process (MDP). The performance of CMT-CA is evaluated through extensive semi-physical emulations in Exata involving HD video encoded with H.264 codec. Experimental results show that CMT-CA outperforms the reference schemes in terms of video peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), end-to-end delay, and goodput. Or conversely, CMT-CA achieves the same video quality with $20$ percent bandwidth conservation. <s> BIB008 </s> A Holistic Survey of Wireless Multipath Video Streaming <s> 5) Video Distortion (Flow Level): <s> Compared with using only a single wireless path such as WiFi, leveraging multipath (e.g., WiFi and cellular) can dramatically improve users' quality of experience (QoE) for mobile video streaming. However, Multipath TCP (MPTCP), the de-facto multipath solution, lacks the support to prioritize one path over another. When applied to video streaming, it may cause undesired network usage such as substantial over-utilization of the metered cellular link. In this paper, we propose MP-DASH, a multipath framework for video streaming with the awareness of network interface preferences from users. The basic idea behind MP-DASH is to strategically schedule video chunks' delivery and thus satisfy user preferences. MP-DASH can work with a wide range of off-the-shelf video rate adaptation algorithms with very small changes. Our extensive field studies at 33 locations in three U.S. states suggest that MP-DASH is very effective: it can reduce cellular usage by up to 99% and radio energy consumption by up to 85% with negligible degradation of QoE, compared with off-the-shelf MPTCP. <s> BIB009
We previously discussed frame level video distortion in Section V-A2. Here, we study flow level video distortion. End-to-End video distortion at flow level (intra-coding) is calculated as total of source and channel distortion BIB005 . Source distortion is determined by the video source rate and video sequence parameters because of their impact on the efficiency of video codec. For example, in case of the same video encoding rate, a more complex video sequence has higher distortion. As another example, increasing the video encoding rate causes decreasing distortion. Channel distortion refers to the packet losses during the network transmission and expired arrivals. Some other features including the frame structure and GoP size also have an impact on both the source and the channel distortion. Flow level video distortion is considered for scheduling strategy in the following surveyed works: ADMIT BIB007 , CMT-DA BIB005 and FRA-JSCC BIB003 . Although most important network characteristics and metrics for path selection were discussed, but there are some other parameters that are used directly or indirectly (to calculate RTT, PLR or other metrics) by different approaches. For example, cwnd is used in MPLOT BIB001 , MP-DCCP BIB002 (CCID2), CMT-CA BIB008 and CMT-DA BIB005 , sending rate is used in MP-DCCP BIB002 (CCID3) and CMT-CL/FD BIB006 , cost function is utilized in MP-DASH BIB009 and GreenBag BIB004 . In MP-DASH, cost can be data usage, energy consumption or both, and in GreenBag BIB004 , cost refers to energy consumption. Other useful factors can be buffer size, packet size, packet count and etc.