Buffer Schemes for VBR Video Streaming over Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

With the co-existence of different wireless networks, which exhibit largely different bandwidth and coverage characteristics, much interest has been involved in integrating these networks to support smooth and efficient multimedia services. In this paper, we present an analytical framework for variable-bit-rate (VBR) video streaming in a two-tier wireless network with VBR channels. We derive the expected number of jitters and average buffering delay during video playback as measures of system performance. Our objective is to discover heterogeneous networking attributes that may influence the streaming performance, in terms of the tradeoff between jitter frequency and buffering delay. Through experimenting with a wide range of fixed, separate, and jointly optimal jitter-recovery buffering schemes, based on buffering delay, buffered data, and buffered playback duration, we quantify the benefit of incorporating user location information in streaming over heterogeneous wireless networks.