Multiple Bitstream Switching for Video Streaming in Monotonically Decreasing Rate Schedulers

One of the approaches to achieve bandwidth scalability for multiple pre-coded non-scalable bitstreams is the switching among the bitstreams of different quality and bandwidth. The monotonically decreasing rate allocation algorithms are proved to be effective for streaming of variable bit rate (VBR) videos. In this paper, we investigate the effect of multiple bitstream switching on quality of service (QoS) parameters in such schemes. Our investigations reveal that the transition points in monotonically decreasing (downstairs) curves are the optimal switching points for the best QoS. Extensive simulations are carried out with ITU-T H.263 video codec to justify our investigations.