Abstract
A proxy-based streaming video distribution framework is proposed in this thesis. This framework consists of content server, edge server (proxy), client device along with the backbone and access network. Content server delivers a scalable video bitstream to the proxies where the requests were issued. Each proxy maintains the traffic information including the packet loss rate and the available bandwidth of its own access network to accommodate the scalable stream passed through it. Three new methods were invented to support this delivery framework to promote the system efficiency: they are interleaving packetization with UEP (Unequal Error Protection), bitrate smoothing, and regulation mechanism. The interleaving packetization with UEP gives graceful quality degradation, which is adaptive to the bandwidth variation and loss rate change during transmission. Bitrate smoothing makes use of buffering and startup delay to smooth out the output bandwidth constantly. Finally, given the traffic condition (available bandwidth and loss rate), the regulation mechanism uses the dropping and re-coding to regulate the scalable bitstream between the backbone and its own access network.