Network support for dynamically scaled multimedia data streams

Abstract

As multi-media applications such as video-on-demand and video conferencing become more common, the classes of systems and networks participating in these applications are becoming more diverse. Where several endpoints need to access the same video stream simultaneously, multicast protocols are often employed to reduce the duplication of network traffic across common links. Previous literature has discussed the concept that hierarchical media encodings can be used to achieve some form of stream scalability within a multicast network. This paper discuss the networking issues associated with encoding hierarchical streams and mapping them to a multimedia transport service interface.