Dynamic Source and Channel Rate Adaptation for Video Streaming over Wireless Fading Channels

Streaming video applications are gaining popularity over not only the fixed Internet but also mobile hand-held devices. Growth in wireless access technologies along with the advanced coding schemes show the promise of better streaming video service for the mobile users. However, wireless channels are characterized by fluctuating bandwidth, thereby making it challenging for streaming applications to ensure good quality of user experience (QoE). In this paper, we adopt an objective approach and propose a cross-layer adaptive video streaming technique, where we make use of the channel loss information to update the application layer video encoding at a slower rate and the link layer modulation and coding scheme at a faster rate. In our adaptive scheme, we focus on a pause-free playback by preventing buffer underflow at the receiver. Our simulation experiments show that, the proposed adaptive technique improves the QoE of the streaming video significantly by gracefully degrading video quality in the face of pathological cases such as wireless channel error, while ensuring an uninterrupted video playback.