Prediction and Transmission Optimization of Video Guaranteeing a Bounded Zapping-Delay in DVB-H

Zapping-delay is an important factor contributing to the quality-of-experience (QoE) of any multimedia service; the longer the zapping-delay, the worse is the QoE. Therefore, for a good QoE, it is necessary to bind zapping-delay within acceptable bounds. Coded video uses a motion compensated prediction structure that contributes to the zapping-delay. In DVB-H, zapping-delay is further increased because of the time-sliced burst transmission architecture. Hence, any attempt to bind zapping-delay must consider both the prediction structure of coded video, as well as the time-sliced transmission architecture of DVB-H. This paper analyzes prediction structure of video as binary relations generating a prediction graph. Reachability concepts of graph theory are then applied to construct binary valued indicator functions. These indicator functions inform about the reception, decoding, and play-out states of each access-unit in the video sequences. zapping-delay is studied by dissecting the components that it is composed off. Conditions for minimizing each of them individually, while the final zapping-delay does not exceed a known bound, is found. Emphasis is also laid on gradual quality enhancement after the display of the new program has started.