Low-Complexity Fuzzy Video Rate Controller for Streaming

In this paper we propose a low-complexity fuzzy video rate control algorithm with buffer constraint designed for real-time streaming applications. While in low delay video communications bit streams with constant bitrate are required, in streaming application more delay and variation in bitrate is acceptable. The described video rate control algorithm (RCA) provides a variable bitrate video by control of the quantization scale (QS) on picture basis. The QS is mainly controlled by a fuzzy controller such that it minimizes the variation of QS to provide encoded video with high visual quality so as to utilize the variable bitrate benefits as much as possible. The proposed rate control algorithm (RCA) has been implemented in the MPEG-4, H.263 and H.264/AVC standard video codecs and the experimental results show that it provides high level average quality for encoded video while it strictly obeys streaming constraints