Modeling one- and two-layer variable bit rate video

This paper presents a source model for VBR video traffic. A finite-state Markov chain is shown to accurately model one- and two-layer video of all activity levels on a per source basis. Our model captures the source dynamics, including the short-term correlations essential for studying network performance. The modeling technique is shown to be applicable for both H.261 and MPEG2 encoded video of a variety of activity levels. The traffic model is shown in a simulation study to be able to accurately characterize both the single-source buffer occupancy over a wide range of buffer sizes and the multiplexing behavior. The VBR video model is also used to model the enhancement layer of two-layer SNR scalable video. We show that two-layer encoding has significantly better statistical multiplexing gains than one-layer video, particularly when the network admits calls based on a leaky-bucket characterization.