A Simple Desktop Compression and Streaming System

Abstract

We present a compression algorithm and a streaming protocol designed for streaming of computer-desktop graphics. The encoder has low memory requirements and can be broken into a large number of independent contexts with a high degree of data locality. The encoder also uses only simple arithmetic, which makes it amenable to hardware or highly parallel software implementation. The decoder is trivial and requires no memory, which makes it suitable for use on devices with limited computing capabilities. The streaming protocol runs over UDP and has its own unique error recovery mechanism specifically designed for interactive applications.