Game theory based dynamic bit-rate adaptation for H.264 scalable video transmission in 4G wireless systems

In this paper, we propose a game theoretic framework for decentralized H.264 scalable video bit-rate adaptation in 4G wireless networks. The framework presented employs a pricing based utility function towards video streaming quality optimization. An algorithm is presented for iterative strategy update of the competing scalable coded video streaming end users towards an equilibrium allocation. In this context we demonstrate the existence of a Nash equilibrium for the proposed video bit-rate adaptation game based on the quasi-concavity of the net video utility function. Existence of Nash equilibrium ensures efficient usage of the 3G/4G bandwidth resources towards video quality and revenue maximization. We present simulation results to comprehensively illustrate the performance of the above game theoretic video quality adaptation scheme. We also discuss the behavior of the parameters of the net video utility function, their impact on video bit-rate allocation and overall bandwidth utilization of the wireless network.