Transmitting MPEG-4 video streams over the Internet: problems and solutions

Abstract

In this work we discuss the transmission of MPEG4 video streams over lossy packet networks like the Internet. Due to the efficient compression achieved by the MPEG-4 standard, parts of the bitstream show high interdependencies. Consequently, without any precautions packet loss within the transmission of a video session severely affects the video quality. Based on the error resilience tools already provided by the MPEG-4 video coding standard, we define an RTP payload format for MPEG-4 video streams and appropriate frag mentation rules. Furthermore, we present experimental results to evaluate the overall robustness of the approach.