QuIVeR: a class of interactive video retrieval protocols

Abstract

Video-on-demand (VOD) servers need to be efficiently designed in order to support a large number of users viewing the same or different videos at different rates. The authors propose the quasi-static interactive video retrieval (QuIVeR) protocol for this purpose when disk-array based video servers are used. Five variations-QuIVeR-I, QuIVeR-2, QuIVeR-3, QuIVeR-4 and QulVeR-5-are presented. The properties as well as the relative merits and demerits of each protocol ore discussed. The protocols require no buffer at the server and hence, all retrieved segments are immediately transmitted to the appropriate users. The amount of buffer required at each user's set-top box is reduced to two video segments. Guarantees are provided for the avoidance of video starvation as well as buffer overflow, at each user's set-top bet. Numerical results, obtained using data from an MPEG coded "Star Wars" video, are provided.