In this paper we propose an adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithm that selects the video rates by observing and controlling the playback buffer. In a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) adaptive streaming session, buffer dynamics largely depend on the chunk sizes. First, we present the algorithm that selects the next video rates based on the current buffer level, while considering the upcoming chunk sizes. We aim to exploit the variation of chunk sizes of a variable bitrate (VBR) encoded video to optimize the tradeoff between the video rate and buffer underflow events while keeping a low frequency of video rate changes. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we consider three scenarios: (i) the video flow does not compete with any cross traffic, (ii) the video flow shares the bottleneck link with competing TCP traffic, and (iii) two HTTP clients share the bottleneck. We show that the proposed algorithm selects a high playback video rate and avoids unnecessary rebuffering while keeping a low frequency of video rate changes. Furthermore, we show that the proposed algorithm changes the video quality gradually to guarantee the user's viewing experience.

In video streaming applications over the Internet, TCP-friendly rate control schemes are useful for improving network stability and inter-protocol fairness. However, they do not always guarantee a smooth video streaming. To simultaneously satisfy both the network and user requirements, video streaming applications should be quality-adaptive. In this paper, we propose a new quality adaptation mechanism to adjust the quality of congestion-controlled video stream by controlling the frame rate. Based on the current network condition, it controls the frame rate of video stream and the sending rate in a TCP-friendly manner. Through a simulation, we prove that our adaptation mechanism appropriately adjusts the quality of video stream while improving network stability.

To support video streaming over the current Internet, a media server usually needs to perform adaptive streaming in combination with congestion control. While existing streaming schemes are mainly designed for particular congestion algorithms and rate shaping techniques, this paper proposes a general buffer-driven adaptive streaming scheme based on control theory. Our scheme can be applied in combination with different congestion control algorithms and different rate shaping (and source coding) techniques. It is also amenable to analysis and easy to implement. Analytical and simulation results show that the proposed scheme gives satisfactory video quality under various Internet conditions while fully utilizing the available network bandwidth.