Qos support for distributed multimedia communications

The nature of distributed multimedia applications is such that they require multipeer communication support mechanisms. Multimedia traffic needs to be delivered to end-systems, networks and end-users in a form that they can handle while satisfying the constraints imposed by the multimedia application. Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms are required that can ensure full quality media playout at high-performance workstations while at the same time providing appropriately filtered lower quality media for playout at low-end systems. Existing multicast support mechanisms are deficient for this purpose, in a heterogeneous environment, because they work on a lowest common denominator premise where the quality provided depends on the least capable link or node involved in the multicast session. In this paper we discuss a QoS model to provide receiver-dependent QoS based on filtering techniques, and we present initial experimental results.