Table of Contents
1 Executive Summary
- 1.1 Purpose
- 1.2 Situation
- 1.3 IPTV Observations Relating to Quality
- 1.4 Key Recommendations
2 Overview of Video and Video Quality
- 2.1 IPTV Market and Technology Situation
- 2.1.1 The Drive for Video Quality
- 2.1.2 Issues Interfering with Scaleable Deployment of IPTV
- 2.2 Video Content Challenges Are Increasing
- 2.3 Definitions: IPTV, Video Quality, Video Quality of Service and Quality
of Experience
- 2.3.1 Video Quality (VQ)
- 2.3.2 Video Quality of Service (V-QoS)
- 2.3.3 Quality of Experience (QoE)
- 2.3.4 Non-Video Factors Affecting Quality of Experience
3 IPTV Architecture and Reference Model
- 3.1 IPTV Domains
- 3.2 End-to-End IPTV Ecosystem Architecture
- 3.3 ISO/OSI Communications Reference Model as Relates to IPTV
4 The IPTV Delivery Ecosystem and Video Quality
- 4.1 Content Development and Production Domain
- 4.2 Acquisition Domain
- 4.2.1 Characteristics of the Acquisition Domain
- 4.2.2 Types of Source Content
- 4.2.3 Variables that Affect Video Quality in the Acquisition Domain
- 4.3 Content Processing Domain
- 4.3.1 Characteristics of the Content Processing Domain
- 4.3.2 Video Encoding and Compression
- 4.3.3 Bandwidth Conservation Techniques Associated with Video Encoding
- 4.3.4 Variables that Affect Video Quality in the Content Processing
Domain
- 4.4 Storage Domain
- 4.4.1 Characteristics of the Storage Domain
- 4.4.2 Variables Affecting Video Quality in the Storage Domain
- 4.5 Control Domain
- 4.5.1 Characteristics of the Control Domain
- 4.5.2 Variables Affecting Video Quality in the Control Domain
- 4.6 Distribution Domain
- 4.6.1 Characteristics of the Distribution Domain
- 4.6.2 Variables Affecting Video Quality in the Distribution Domain
- 4.7 Network Edge and Access Domain
- 4.7.1 Characteristics of the Network Edge and Access Domain
- 4.7.2 Variables Affecting Video Quality in the Edge and Access Domain
- 4.8 Customer Premises Domain
- 4.8.1 VQ and QoE Impact at the Customer Premises Domain
- 4.9 IPTV Concerns that Span Multiple Domains
- 4.9.1 Video Characteristics and Functionalities Occurring Across
Multiple Domains
- 4.9.2 V-QoS and QoE Strategies and Techniques Used Across Multiple
Domains
5 Test and Measurement for VQ, V-QoS and QoE
- 5.1 Video Quality Measurement
- 5.1.1 Video Signal Parameters
- 5.2 Transport and Video Quality-of-Service Measurements
- 5.3 Quality of Experience: Measurement of Interactivity
- 5.4 Quality of Experience: Holistic View
- 5.4.1 Comparing Video Input with Video Output
- 5.5 IPTV QoE: Qualitative and Perceptual Measurements
- 5.6 Test and Measurement Across the IPTV Ecosystem
6 Conclusions
- 6.1 Complex Ecosystem to Deliver MPEG-4 Video
- 6.2 Quality of Experience (QoE) is Both Measurable and Subjective
- 6.3 Data Errors Occurring in the Network Have Major Effect on V-QoS
- 6.4 The Choice of MPEG Transport Method Has an Effect on QoE
- 6.5 Standards for QoE
7 Recommendations for Maximizing Video Quality
- 7.1 Summary of Recommendations
- 7.2 Acquisition Recommendations
- 7.2.1 Be Prepared for Stringent Ingest Requirements From Video
Programmers
- 7.2.2 Begin Testing Before the Encoder
- 7.2.3 Pre-Process Video Content into a Common Format
- 7.2.4 Digital Transport and Backhaul
- 7.3 Headend Design Recommendations
- 7.3.1 Establish the Video Service Lineup First
- 7.4 Video Encoding Recommendations
- 7.4.1 For Distribution, Encode to the MEG-4 AVC/H.264 Format
- 7.4.2 Establish Parameters for Video Content Errors
- 7.4.3 Carefully Evaluate the Options for Transcoding
- 7.4.4 Smoothing the Video Stream
- 7.5 Network Design Recommendations
- 7.5.1 Service Level Agreements
- 7.5.2 Design the Network to Accommodate HDTV, End-to-End
- 7.5.3 Establish Bandwidth Budgets
- 7.5.4 Remember to Budget for Non-Video Traffic
- 7.5.5 Additional Network Considerations that Impact VQ & V-QoS
- 7.6 Test and Measurement Recommendations
- 7.6.1 Deploy with a Full-Time Test and Measurement System
- 7.6.2 Recommended Placement of Test and Measurement Systems
- 7.6.3 Test for Impairments at the Physical Layer
- 7.6.4 Testing to Rigid Technical Standards is Not Enough
- 7.6.5 Perform Anecdotal Consumer Testing
- 7.7 CPE Recommendations
- 7.7.1 Operators Must Follow the STB Recommendations of Their Software
Suppliers
- 7.7.2 Policy Management at the Set-top Box Level
- 7.7.3 Correcting MPEG Video Errors in the Set-top Box
- 7.7.4 Minimizing the Effect of Network Errors in the Set-top Box:
- 7.7.5 Network Termination Device
- 7.8 Quality of Service Recommendations
- 7.9 Quality of Experience Recommendations
- 7.9.1 Channel Change Times
- 7.9.2 Synchronization of Audio and Video
- 7.9.3 Prioritization of Service Traffic
- 7.9.4 MPEG Transport Streams
- 7.9.5 Implement Policies that Mitigate Network Issues Resulting from
Oversubscription
- 7.9.6 Content Recommendations
- 7.10 Recommendations that Impact Multiple IPTV Domains
- 7.10.1 Implement Redundancy
- 7.10.2 Consider Established IPTV Architecture Reference Standards
- 7.10.3 Balance the Need for Standards Against the Virtues of Proprietary
Solutions
8 Appendix 1: IP Communications Concepts Which Relate to Video Applications
- 8.1 ISO/OSI Basic Reference Model
- 8.2 IP Networking Standards
- 8.2.1 IGMP
- 8.2.2 RTSP
- 8.2.3 RTP
- 8.2.4 RTCP (Real-Time Transport Control Protocol)
- 8.2.5 UDP
9 Appendix 2: Video and Video Communications Standards
- 9.1 MPEG Video
- 9.1.1 MPEG Video Stream Structure
- 9.1.2 MPEG-2
- 9.1.3 MPEG-4
- 9.1.4 Other Video Standards
- 9.1.5 VC-1
- 9.1.6 MPEG-7 and MPEG-21
- 9.2 MPEG Transport
- 9.2.1 Approaches to MPEG Transport
- 9.2.2 Advocacy for MPEG-2 Transport
- 9.2.3 MPEG-2 Transport Steam Encapsulation
10 Appendix 5: IPTV Vendors
- 10.1 Video Networking Suppliers
- 10.2 Headend and Encoder Suppliers
- 10.3 IPTV Middleware Suppliers
- 10.4 Content Protection (Encryption, Watermarking) Suppliers
- 10.5 IPTV Network Suppliers
- 10.6 Test and Measurement
- 10.7 Professional Services
11 Appendix 6: Glossary of Terms
12 Index of Companies
Table of Figures
- Figure 1-1: Domains Acquisition, Storage, Control and Distribution
- Figure 1-2: Makeup of MPEG Video - Key to Controlling Packet Loss & Jitter
- Figure 1-3: Comparison of MPEG-2 vs. MPEG-4 Video Quality
- Figure 1-4: Comparing MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Over DSL
- Figure 1-5: Potential Sample Points Across The IPTV Ecosystem
- Figure 3-1: Domains 1-5: Acquisition, Processing Storage, Control and
Distribution
- Figure 3-2: Domains 5-7: IPTV Distribution, Network Edge & Access and
Customer Premises
- Figure 3-3: IPTV Set-top Box Architectural Diagram
- Figure 3-4: Hypothetical Tier-1 Operator with National (Super) Headend,
Regional and Local Video Facilities
- Figure 4-1: Example of Colors that are Outside of Established Color
Parameters
- Figure 4-2: Comparison of MPEG-2 vs. MPEG-4 Video Quality
- Figure 4-3: Constant Bit-Rate Encoding
- Figure 4-4: Illustration of How CF-CBR Limits Bandwidth Requirements
- Figure 4-5: Aggregated Content Bundled Using CF-CBR
- Figure 4-6: Embedding of Watermarks During Video Encoding
- Figure 4-7: Application of Watermarks in the IPTV Ecosystem
- Figure 4-8: Encrypted vs. Unencrypted Video
- Figure 4-9: 1-D FEC Examples That Can Be Corrected
- Figure 4-10: 1-D Example That Cannot Be Corrected
- Figure 4-11: 2-D FEC Examples That Can Be Corrected
- Figure 4-12: 2-D FEC Examples That Can Be Corrected
- Figure 5-1: Holistic View of IPTV QoE
- Figure 5-2: Potential Sample Points Across The IPTV Ecosystem
- Figure 7-1: Comparing MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Over DSL
- Figure 7-2: Comparison of DSL Ability to Accommodate MPEG-2 and MPEG-4
Video
- Figure 8-1: OSI ISO 7-Layer Basic Reference Model
- Figure 9-1: Model for MPEG-2 Systems
- Figure 9-2: Structure of MPEG Video
- Figure 9-3: Data Loss Propagation in MPEG-2 Video Streams
- Figure 9-4: Minimal MPEG-2 Transport Stream
Table of Tables
- Table 3-1: Mapping the 7-Layer OSI Basic Reference Model to Video
- Table 4-1: Home Network QoS Support
- Table 8-1: ISO/OSI Model - Definitions and Functions of Each Layer In The
Model
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