Design of scheduling and rate-adaptation algorithms for adaptive HTTP streaming

In adaptive HTTP streaming model, the HTTP server stores multiple representations of media content, encoded at different rates. It is the function of a streaming client to select and retrieve segments of appropriate representations to enable continuous media playback under varying network conditions. In this paper we describe design of a control mechanism enabling such a selection and retrieval of media data during streaming session. We also describe the architecture of a streaming client for adaptive HTTP streaming and provide simulation data illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed control mechanism for handling bandwidth fluctuations typical for TCP traffic.