TCP-Based Dynamic Media Stream Adaptation in Ubiquitous Environment

More and more media material is consumed in ubiquitous environment where the service can be experienced over different devices, network conditions, network bearers, etc. Unlike in traditional wireless environments where at least changes of the QoS parameters are controlled by the network, ubiquitous networks are characterized by abrupt changes. Transition from complete disconnectivity to low-cost, high-bandwidth connection can happen in a relatively short time span. Media consumption over such networks are influenced by two, contradictory user requirements. The first requirement is that the users would not like to see quality changes in the media stream. The second requirement is that the user would like to consume the media with the best available quality. This paper presents an adaptation algorithm that aims to reconcile these requirements. Architecture variants of the media adaptation problem and prototyping experiences are also presented.