Using multiple buffers for smooth VBR video transmissions over the network

End-to-end traffic smoothing has been proven to be highly effective in reducing the peak rate and the burstiness of VBR video traffic. There are, however, scenarios in which client buffer sizes are not enough for achieving satisfactory smoothing results. We study the possibility of utilizing buffers along the transmission path to further smooth the VBR video stream and reduce the transmission cost. Optimization algorithms are presented for the single intermediate buffer case and then extended to more general cases. The practical applications of these algorithms are also discussed