Video streaming protocol extension for session control and authorization

With the constant increase in network availability and performance, multimedia delivery systems have gained widespread popularity in almost any type of network environment. The deployment of such systems was historically reserved for special, custom-designed infrastructures which were able to support a high throughput for a limited number of users. With the expansion of multimedia content delivery systems, particularly OTT (over-the-top) and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), several very important issues had to be resolved in order to achieve a satisfactory level of service quality. One of the key challenges in deploying a global multimedia delivery system is the security of the content and the end-users involved in the process. This paper presents a novel approach to extending current video streaming protocol capabilities to support a high level of security and session control, without degrading the performance of the network. As a proof of concept, the approach presented in this paper has been successfully implemented in a Digital Multimedia Content Distribution System called GSTV.