Joint source-channel coding optimization with packet loss resilience for video transmission

We propose a novel joint source-channel coding (JSCC) framework that jointly optimizes encoding modes of macroblocks and unequal error protection (UEP) of packets for error-resilient video transmission, and address the problem of source packet loss due to bit errors incurred in error-prone channels. In the proposed framework, we consider the source packet loss probability as a function of the encoding configuration of a slice. The task of optimization is complicated by the inherent interdependency between macroblocks in the same slice, since the encoding mode optimization for each macroblock requires the encoding configuration of entire slice to be known in advance. We resolve such interdependency via an iterative method that alternates between the optimization of the slice size and the associated encoding modes, and we also utilize adaptive quantization for coding residual for source rate control in different channel conditions. Simulation results show that our framework outperforms existing approaches.