The Impact of Link Error Modeling on the Quality of Streamed Video in Wireless Networks

The influence of channel error characteristics on higher layer protocols or methods which are considering or even exploiting the error statistics is significant especially in wireless networks where fading and interference effects result in error pattern correlation properties (error bursts). In this work we are analysing the impact of the channel properties directly on the quality of streamed video. We are focusing on the quality of transmitted H.264/AVC video streaming over UMTS DCH (Dedicated Channel) and compare the quality of the streamed video simulated over measured link error traces (the measurements performed in a live UMTS network) to simulations with a memoryless channel and to models with enhanced error characteristics. The results show that appropriate modeling of the link layer error characteristics is very important but it can also be concluded that the error correlation properties of the link- or the network-layer model do not have an impact on the quality of the video stream as long as the resulting IP packet error probability remains unchanged.