Foundations of Measuring Power and Energy Consumption in Video Communication

Given the growing environmental concerns and significant resource consumption associated with video streaming on electronic devices, measuring the energy consumption is important to guide optimisation and to assess its relative environmental impact. In this paper, we provide comprehensive guidance to accurately measure the energy and power consumption in video communication technologies. We address the complexities inherent in measuring energy consumption across diverse software and hardware setups, with a focus on video communication tasks. We review current measurement techniques, identify limitations in existing practices, and propose a structured methodology that incorporates considerations for static and dynamic power consumption, appropriate sampling frequencies, and statistical rigor. Additionally, we introduce a reference workflow that is adaptable to various multimedia applications and demonstrate its applicability through a case study. By offering clear guidance and practical tools, this work aims to improve the reliability, reproducibility, and comparability of energy consumption measurements in video technologies, providing a strong foundation for the multimedia community to base decisions on.