U-TV: User-centric scalable DTV broadcast over heterogeneous wireless networks

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative multi-faceted architecture, named U-TV, that provides user-centric and adaptive digital television (DTV) broadcast for heterogeneous users over heterogeneous wireless networks. The service providers (SPs) are the DTV base station (DTV BS) and Wi-Fi access points (Wi-Fi APs). The Bertrand duopoly game theoretic approach determines the pricing policy of the SPs and also the proportion of subscribers each of these SPs serve. The proposed framework incorporates the user-end as well as system utility definitions based on the users' energy-saving and price trade-off. The joint-optimization solution facilitates scalable video encoding subject to the device display resolutions, and energy and price sensitivities. The proposed solution results in an increased user satisfaction by providing them with optimized video content over the price competent SPs. Additionally, the SPs are able to serve more customers with acceptable user experience, as compared to the conventional as well as adaptive DTV service networks.