A Network Management Algorithm and Protocol for Improving QoE in Mobile IPTV

Abstract

Last improvements on video codecs, jointly with the use of optimized transport protocols, have brought us to provide IPTV in wireless networks. Moreover, cellular phone users are being accustomed to have all Internet services in the mobile device, through 3G or WiFi technology, with the same quality of experience (QoE) than in any desktop computer or laptop with broadband Internet connection. In this paper we present a network management algorithm and protocol for ubiquitous networks based on the QoE of the end user. First, we explain the developed protocol and algorithm, that uses the information provided by the mobile device and the bandwidth, jitter, delay and packet loss of the end user, in order to decide which is the most appropriate video features and the best coding technique to deliver the video streams. A video controller server decides which video server, from a farm of servers, is the best one for each case. We show the algorithm performance when each coding technique is changed in the server due to transcoding process, and the network performance in terms of jitter, delay and lost packets received by the end user when each coding technique is selected by the video controller server.