Improved Resilience for Video Over Packet Loss Networks with MDC and Optimized Packetization

We investigate the problem of robust video transmission over lossy packet networks. A resilient video coding framework is important to ensure quality video over these networks. We propose a combination of a rate-distortion optimized multiple description codec and an integrated packetization method to constitute the error resilient codec. Multiple description (MD) coding techniques utilize path-diversity (multiple paths between sender and receiver) in networks by sending the descriptions along different paths. Two different optimization controls for the MID codec are proposed that are suited to variable rates of packet loss for multipath transmission of the MD coded video. An optimized strategy for packetizing the descriptions is also proposed which guarantees that each packet is self-contained and efficient. Simulations done under various packet loss scenarios show the need for two different optimization strategies and also that the developed MD codec achieves significantly improved video quality when compared with similar techniques.