Wireless Video Transmission: A Single Layer Distortion Optimal Approach

In this paper, we introduce an analytical expression for the expected distortion of a single layer encoded video bit-stream. Based on the expected distortion model, we propose a distortion optimal unequal error protection (UEP) technique to transmit such bit-stream over a wireless tandem channel. The proposed method allocates the total transmission budget unequally to different frames of a video bit-stream in order to protect the bit-stream against both bit errors caused by fading and packet erasures caused by network buffering. We compare this technique with another UEP technique as well as a one-dimension equal length protection technique. The evaluation results for different choices of packet sizes, available budgets, and channel conditions show that the proposed method outperforms the other alternative schemes.