Adaptive HTTP Streaming Utilizing Temporal Sub-layers of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)

Abstract

The newly approved High Efficiency Video Coding Standard (HEVC) includes temporal sub-layering feature which provides temporal scalability. Two types of pictures - Temporal Sub-layer Access Pictures and Step-wise Temporal Sub-layer Access Pictures are provided for this purpose. This paper utilizes the temporal scalability of HEVC to provide bandwidth adaptive HTTP streaming to clients. We describe our HTTP streaming algorithm, which is media timeline aware. Temporal sub-layers are switched on the server side dynamically. We performed subjective tests to determine user perception regarding acceptable frame rates when using temporal scalability of HEVC. These results are used to control the algorithm's temporal switching behavior to provide a good quality of experience to the user. We applied Internet and 3GPP error-delay patterns to validate the performance of our algorithm.