Video Streaming over MBMS: A System Design Approach

Abstract

Recently, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) has been specified by 3GPP as a Release 6 feature in order to meet the increasing demands of multimedia download and streaming applications in mobile scenarios. H.264, as the unique recommended video codec for MBMS, serves as an essential component because of its high compression efficiency and easy network integration capability. In this study, we introduce and analyze the main system design parameters that influence the performance of the H.264 encoded video streaming over EGPRS and UMTS bearers. Effective design methodology including robustness against packet losses and efficient use of the scarce radio resources is presented. Care is taken on the processing power of mobiles, service delay constraints, and heterogeneous receiving conditions. Then, we investigate application of an advanced receiver concept, the so-called permeable layer receiver, in MBMS video broadcasting environments. Selected simulation results show the suitability of certain parameter selection as well as the benefits provided by the advanced receiver concept. Finally, a real-time test bed for MBMS called RealNeS-MBMS is presented. With this tool, a standard-compliant GERAN network can be simulated and the system design procedure including H.264 based video broadcast streaming can be evaluated in real-time.