MMC03-6: Video Traffic Modeling for Resource-Constrained Clients

We present a new approach to variable bit rate (VBR) video traffic modeling designed to capture the multi- scale characteristics that are critical in determining buffering requirements. Much of the previous work in video traffic modeling has focused on real-time multimedia systems that of necessity involve queuing models with small buffers. Today there is growing interest in understanding systems in which high quality video is downloaded in non-real-time from a source such as the Internet, and then distributed at a later time in a local environment to a very low-cost and thus resource-constrained device. Smooth playback and avoidance of data loss are of paramount importance. The work here analyzes the tradeoffs between buffering resources and the video quality in such environments, and provides a framework that is directly relevant to a large class of emerging applications and systems.