A protection scheme for multimedia packet streams in bursty packet loss networks based on small block low-density parity-check codes

This paper proposes an enhanced forward error correction (FEC) scheme based on small block low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes to protect real-time packetized multimedia streams in bursty channels. The use of LDPC codes is typically addressed for channels where losses are uniformly distributed (memoryless channels) and for large information blocks. This work suggests the use of this type of FEC codes at the application layer, in bursty channels (e.g., Internet protocol (IP)-based networks) and for real-time scenarios that require low transmission latency. To fulfil these constraints, the appropriate configuration parameters of an LDPC scheme have been determined using small blocks of information and adapting the FEC code to be capable of recovering packet losses in bursty environments. This purpose is achieved in two steps. The first step is performed by an algorithm that estimates the recovery capability of a given LDPC code in a burst packet loss network. The second step is the optimization of the code: an algorithm optimizes the parity matrix structure in terms of recovery capability against the specific behavior of the channel with memory. Experimental results have been obtained in a simulated transmission channel to show that the optimized LDPC matrices generate a more robust protection scheme against bursty packet losses for small information blocks

A testbed of erasure coding on video streaming system over lossy networks

As one of the most challenging aspects of streaming video over lossy networks, the technology for controlling packet losses has attracted more and more attention. Erasure coding is one of the ideal choices to deal with this problem. In most cases, the researchers need an effective method or tool to validate the erasure codes used for dealing with different packet loss patterns. Although some previous work has been done on employing erasure codes in video streaming system, few actual buildups and experiments which involve implementation of erasure codes against real packet loss in streaming systems have been reported. In this paper, we focus on constructing a testbed that integrates loss pattern generation and erasure coding implementation into video streaming services over lossy networks. With this approach, we are able to assess the capability of erasure coding in packet loss control and compare the performances of the video streaming systems with and without erasure coding. As an example, we have implemented the Reed-Solomon (7, 5) code for protecting MPEG streaming data under random packet losses. Experiment results show that the replay quality can be improved significantly by using erasure coding in video streaming systems, and that the testbed can suggest appropriate erasure code parameters for different loss environments

On-the-fly erasure coding for real-time video applications

This paper introduces a robust point-to-point transmission scheme: Tetrys, that relies on a novel on-the-fly erasure coding concept which reduces the delay for recovering lost data at the receiver side. In current erasure coding schemes, the packets that are not rebuilt at the receiver side are either lost or delayed by at least one RTT before transmission to the application. The present contribution aims at demonstrating that Tetrys coding scheme can fill the gap between real-time applications requirements and full reliability. Indeed, we show that in several cases, Tetrys can recover lost packets below one RTT over lossy and best-effort networks. We also show that Tetrys allows to enable full reliability without delay compromise and as a result: significantly improves the performance of time constrained applications. For instance, our evaluations present that video-conferencing applications obtain a PSNR gain up to 7dB compared to classic block-based erasure codes

Evaluation of cross-layer reliability mechanisms for satellite digital multimedia broadcast

This paper presents a study of some reliability mechanisms which may be put at work in the context of Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (SDMB) to mobile devices such as handheld phones. These mechanisms include error correcting codes, interleaving at the physical layer, erasure codes at intermediate layers and error concealment on the video decoder. The evaluation is made on a realistic satellite channel and takes into account practical constraints such as the maximum zapping time and the user mobility at several speeds. The evaluation is done by simulating different scenarii with complete protocol stacks. The simulations indicate that, under the assumptions taken here, the scenario using highly compressed video protected by erasure codes at intermediate layers seems to be the best solution on this kind of channel

Fifty Years of Noise Modeling and Mitigation in Power-Line Communications.

Building on the ubiquity of electric power infrastructure, power line communications (PLC) has been successfully used in diverse application scenarios, including the smart grid and in-home broadband communications systems as well as industrial and home automation. However, the power line channel exhibits deleterious properties, one of which is its hostile noise environment. This article aims for providing a review of noise modeling and mitigation techniques in PLC. Specifically, a comprehensive review of representative noise models developed over the past fifty years is presented, including both the empirical models based on measurement campaigns and simplified mathematical models. Following this, we provide an extensive survey of the suite of noise mitigation schemes, categorizing them into mitigation at the transmitter as well as parametric and non-parametric techniques employed at the receiver. Furthermore, since the accuracy of channel estimation in PLC is affected by noise, we review the literature of joint noise mitigation and channel estimation solutions. Finally, a number of directions are outlined for future research on both noise modeling and mitigation in PLC