Using H.264/AVC-based Scalable Video Coding (SVC) for Real Time Streaming in Wireless IP Networks

A streaming system based on the scalable video coding (SVC) extension of H.264/AVC is shown. SVC allows for data rate adaptation without re-encoding just by dropping packets of the bit stream. By that, it enables for instance multicast services to clients of heterogeneous capabilities at the same time, while consuming less bit rate compared to simulcasting the services. Additionally, the robustness of a streaming connection against packet losses can be significantly increased if the different layers of the coded video stream are unequally protected by a forward error correction scheme. In this case, users will experience graceful degradation of image quality rather than visible errors or interruptions. The introduction of new services using SVC can also take advantage of a backward-compatible base layer. Different use cases for SVC streaming in wireless IP networks and selected simulation results of the improved error robustness for a DVB-H wireless transmission are presented.