Enhanced Error-Resilient Video Transport Over MIMO Systems Using Multiple Descriptions

Much of the work on wireless transmission over the past several years has focused on simulation and deployment of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. These systems provide benefits of improved robustness and enhanced throughput at relatively low cost. Despite the increased understanding of the performance of MIMO systems, little is known about which combination of channel and source coding yields the best results for video transport. It is clear that new ways of providing error-resilience that emerge from MIMO architectures need to be developed which can cope with the particularities of video content. This paper proposes a new scheme for video transmission using multiple-description coding (MDC). Two complementary MIMO techniques, space-time block coding (STBC) and spatial multiplexing (SM), are employed. The quality of the reconstructed video, already enhanced by the inherent MIMO systems' properties, is further improved through the use of MDC.