Performance analysis of home streaming video using Orb

Abstract

A new paradigm in video streaming is emerging, that of personal video servers in the home streaming video to remote clients on the Internet. The potential impact of such technologies demands careful study to assess performance and impact. This project studies one such personal video streaming system called Orb in a closed network environment, allowing us to control network bandwidths. Our performance evaluation focuses on Orb's method of bandwidth estimation, video performance and bitrates, and resource usage during transcoding. Analysis shows Orb uses simplistic, but effective, methods of determining available bandwidth, dynamic temporal and spatial scaling, and significant CPU cycles when transcoding. The results should be useful for subsequent comparison with other home streaming technologies and capacity planning for network providers.