Experiences with high definition interactive video conferencing

We review the design and implementation of UltraGrid, a new high definition video conferencing system, and present some experimental results. UltraGrid was the first system to support gigabit rate high definition interactive video conferencing on commodity systems and networks, and we present measurements to illustrate behavior of production networks subject to such real time traffic. We illustrate the benefits of hybrid IP/provisioned optical networks over best effort IP networks for this class of traffic, and motivate the development of congestion control algorithms for interactive conferencing on best effort IP networks

HDTV sobre IP en Internet2

La presente es una tesis teórica que pretende ahondar en el análisis de la transmisión de televisión digital de alta definición sin comprimir sobre Internet2, teniendo en cuenta todos los requerimientos de este tipo de tráfico de alto throughput. Internet2 es un consorcio liderado por muchas universidades del mundo que trabajan en sociedad con industrias y gobiernos para desarrollar tecnologías y aplicaciones avanzadas de red, para luego transferirlas a la Internet del mañana. Como punto clave a destacar, la tesis plantea el uso de tecnología estándar Internet para el streaming en vivo de HDTV, por lo cual se descarta el uso de ATM (Asyncronous Transfer Mode) y de tecnologías de transmisión específicas para video. Además se estudiarán principalmente temas como la conveniencia de la implementación de IPv4 o IPv6, la aplicación de calidad de servicio (QoS) y el uso de broadcast o multicast. Cabe destacar que al tener que tomar decisiones justificadas en cuanto a la elección de las diferentes tecnologías a aplicar en el escenario de la tesis, se descartarán otras alternativas que bien podrían ser consideradas como tema para otros trabajos de investigación futuros. Finalmente, se tomará un experimento de transmisión de HDTV que haya sido realizado con éxito y se lo cotejará con la solución por mí propuesta.Facultad de Informátic

Reflections on security options for the real-time transport protocol framework

The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) supports a range of video conferencing, telephony, and streaming video ap- plications, but offers few native security features. We discuss the problem of securing RTP, considering the range of applications. We outline why this makes RTP a difficult protocol to secure, and describe the approach we have recently proposed in the IETF to provide security for RTP applications. This approach treats RTP as a framework with a set of extensible security building blocks, and prescribes mandatory-to-implement security at the level of different application classes, rather than at the level of the media transport protocol

Development of an integrated interface between SAGE and Ultragrid

In this document the Master thesis called “Development of an integrated interface between SAGE and Ultragrid” is presented. During this document, new users’ and companies’ necessities, that come from the knowledge sharing to the productivity improvements, in the scope of the advanced tools for videoconferencing are set out. From these new necessities and after the analysis of the state of the art in videoconference and high definition, a new technological challenge to solve these necessities appears. During the master a novel design is set out, a design for a new kind of High Definition (uncompressed HD-SDI) videoconferencing system fully adaptable and scalable. By joining different technologies of distributed visualization and technologies of advanced streaming of high definition audiovisual contents over IP networks, a new prototype has been deployed, able to solve the new technological requirements. The new deployed system is able to visualize several HD-SDI streams simultaneously in a unique application. Also the new transmission/visualization module, allows to divide the HD-SDI stream in different self-content substreams, in order to give to the receptor user the possibility to choose, according his capabilities, the number of sub-streams that will be able to receive and process. This procedure will allow the user to always work with the best quality he is able to. The result of the thesis has been a high definition multi-videoconference low latency system, able to work point to multi-point where each user receive different resolutions, without transcoding. Finally, the obtained results have been analyzed, opening new research lines, and possible system improvements has been raised

Live media production: multicast optimization and visibility for clos fabric in media data centers

Media production data centers are undergoing a major architectural shift to introduce digitization concepts to media creation and media processing workflows. Content companies such as NBC Universal, CBS/Viacom and Disney are modernizing their workflows to take advantage of the flexibility of IP and virtualization. In these new environments, multicast is utilized to provide point-to-multi-point communications. In order to build point-to-multi-point trees, Multicast has an established set of control protocols such as IGMP and PIM. The existing multicast protocols do not optimize multicast tree formation for maximizing network throughput which lead to decreased fabric utilization and decreased total number of admitted flows. In addition, existing multicast protocols are not bandwidth-aware and could cause links to over-subscribe leading to packet loss and lower video quality. TV production traffic patterns are unique due to ultra high bandwidth requirements and high sensitivity to packet loss that leads to video impairments. In such environments, operators need monitoring tools that are able to proactively monitor video flows and provide actionable alerts. Existing network monitoring tools are inadequate because they are reactive by design and perform generic monitoring of flows with no insights into video domain. The first part of this dissertation includes a design and implementation of a novel Intelligent Rendezvous Point algorithm iRP for bandwidth-aware multicast routing in media DC fabrics. iRP utilizes a controller-based architecture to optimize multicast tree formation and to increase bandwidth availability in the fabric. The system offers up to 50\% increase in fabric capacity to handle multicast flows passing through the fabric. In the second part of this dissertation, DiRP algorithm is presented. DiRP is based on a distributed decision-making approach to achieve multicast tree capacity optimization while maintaining low multicast tree setup time. DiRP algorithm is tested using commercially available data center switches. DiRP algorithm offers substantially lower path setup time compared to centralized systems while maintaining bandwidth awareness when setting up the fabric. The third part of this dissertation studies the utilization of machine learning algorithms to improve on multicast efficiency in the fabric. The work includes implementation and testing of LiRP algorithm to increase iRP\u27s fabric efficiency by implementing k-fold cross validation method to predict future multicast group memberships for time-series analysis. Testing results confirm that LiRP system increases the efficiency of iRP by up to 40\% through prediction of multicast group memberships with online arrival. In the fourth part of this dissertation, The problem of live video monitoring is studied. Existing network monitoring tools are either reactive by design or perform generic monitoring of flows with no insights into video domain. MediaFlow is a robust system for active network monitoring and reporting of video quality for thousands of flows simultaneously using a fraction of the cost of traditional monitoring solutions. MediaFlow is able to detect and report on integrity of video flows at a granularity of 100 mSec at line rate for thousands of flows. The system increases video monitoring scale by a thousand-fold compared to edge monitoring solutions

Audio module integration into high quality video transmission software

El projecte tracta d'afegir noves funcionalitats al sistema de transmissio HD, basat en software lliure, UltraGrid. El projecte consistira en l'integracio d'un modul d'audio tant en captura des d'una mateixa font, audio i video, com desde una font independent de forma sincronitzada, per cada usuari. Aixo donara lloc a un sistema complet de videoconferencia adaptable. A mes en una segona fase del projecte, l'alumne adaptara el modul d'audio per a entorns multiusuari (multiconferencia), en els modes, N:1 i N:N, afegint les millores d'audio aconseguides. Per ultim, s'estudiara la viabilitat de desenvolupar un cancel?ladors d'eco basat en software i un modul de deteccio d'activitat per donar posicio preferent al usuari que esta parlant a la multi- conferenci

Description and proposal of an end-to-end IPTV solution

Orientador: Yuzo IanoDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é tanto estudar quanto analisar uma solução de IPTV (TV por IP). Tal serviço está emergindo nas operadoras de telecomunicações de todo o mundo. Essa solução está sendo bem aceita e mudando radicalmente a visão de negócios dos provedores de telecomunicações em todo o mundo. Consumidores finais vão demandar serviços personalizados através de múltiplos dispositivos, incluindo canais de TV, conteúdo sob demanda, TV interativa, comunicações de vídeo e de voz, música, compartilhamento de fotos e arquivos e jogos on-line. Esses são alguns dos serviços de usuário final, entregues de forma transparente e combinada. Isso tudo requer mudanças inovadoras nas operadoras de telecomunicações, desde uma nova arquitetura de rede, com qualidade de serviço fim-a-fim, confiabilidade, gerência, e segurança. Contribui-se com uma descrição detalhada de como arquitetar essa solução, cobrindo todos os desafios para se implementar um sistema de IPTV, descrevendo-se todos os componentes e serviços da solução, e também qual seria a evolução natural dessa solução. É também parte de nossa contribuição a proposição de algumas melhorias para reduzir o tempo de troca de canal, além de sugestões para se implementar uma solução de inserção de comercial e de inserção de legenda. Palavras-chave: Codificação de imagem, Imagem, IPTV, Triple Play, STB, VOD, IGMPAbstract: This works concerns the study and the analysis of an IPTV solution (Internet Protocol Television). This kind of service is emerging in the Telco all over the world and its good acceptance is radically changing the business vision of the telecommunications providers. Final consumers will demand personalized services using multiple devices including TV channels, video-on-demand, interative TV, video and voice communications, music, photo and file sharing and online games. All these services require novelties and changes at the telecoms field embracing new network architecture using P2P service quality, reliability, customer management and security. The contribution of this work concerns a detailed description of how to design the solution for these challenges, how to implement a new IPTV system describing all the components and services that have to be provided. The natural evolution of this approach is also considered. Additionally, this work proposes new solutions to reduce the channel zapping time and to insert commercials and subtitles. Keywords: Image coding, Imaging, IPTV, Triple Play, STB, VOD, IGMP, MPEG, H.264, Multicast, MPEG-2 TS, RTSP, Middleware, DRMMestradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaMestre em Engenharia Elétric

Desenvolupament d’una aplicació HbbTV per a esdeveniments esportius

La televisió connectada s’està erigint com un dels fenomens tecnològics més destacats dels últims anys en el camp de les telecomunicacions. A nivell europeu cal destacar la importància de l’estàndard Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV, altrament conegut com HbbTV. Es tracta d’una plataforma oberta que té l’objectiu de proporcionar accés a aplicacions interactives i a continguts sota demanda als consumidors, independentment de la marca del terminal o dispositiu de que disposin. Les perspectives d’èxit d’implantació d’aquest estàndard són relativament altes respecte a anteriors intents degut principalment a que no es tracta d’una nova tecnologia que comporti uns costos elevats de desenvolupament, sinó que HbbTV és una conjunció de l’actual tecnologia de difusió de la televisió digital amb Internet. En aquest TFC s’ha implementat una aplicació HbbTV específica per a esdeveniments esportius, que permet enriquir l’experiència de l’espectador a partir de l’accés immediat a estadístiques i a les repeticions de les jugades més destacades des de varis punts de vista. El desenvolupament s’ha dut a terme amb l’ajuda d’emuladors de receptor HbbTV. A més, s’ha recreat un escenari realista d’emissions broadcast que ens ha permès treballar la totalitat de la cadena de radiodifusió: generació d’un Transport Stream amb l’aplicació HbbTV senyalitzada, transmissió del senyal modulat en DVB-T i recepció en terminals compatibles amb l’estàndard (una Smart TV i un set-top box). Finalment s’han fet proves de funcionalitat de l’aplicació amb els diferents dispositius receptors de que hem disposat. S’ha comprovat que el comportament no es el mateix en tots els dispositius, de manera que s’han generat versions adaptades a cada un fins aconseguir-ne una que funciona correctament en tots.English: In recent years, connected TV has become one of the most remarcable technologic phenomena in the telecommunications sector around the world. At European level, the relevance of the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV standard (better known as HbbTV) must be emphasized. The aim of this open platform is to provide access to interactive applications and on-demand contents regardless of the consumer’s TV manufacturer. Prospects for a successful implementation are higher than previous attempts with other standards because of one simple but important reason: it is not a new technology with high development costs. HbbTV is the union of two well known technologies: current digital television broadcasting and Internet. In this degree thesis an HbbTV application specific for sport events has been designed and implemented. It allows to enrich the TV consumption experience by enabling access to the match statistics and the most interessant moves repetitions from different points of view. The development has been carried out with HbbTV reciever emulators. In addition, a real broadcast emission environment has been recreated for working with the whole broadcasting process: Transport Stream generation with the HbbTV application signaled, DVB-T modulated signal transmission and reception with HbbTV compliant devices (Smart TV and set-top box). Finally, we have carried out some application funcionality tests with our different HbbTV recievers. As it has been demonstrated, the behaviour of the application running on the different devices is not the same, so we have generated some adapted-to-device versions of it. The last version of the HbbTV application works on all the available recievers