ADAPTIVE BITRATE STREAMING LATENCY REDUCTION

摘要

A method of transmitting media content is provided that provides for a significantly reduced chunk size. The method includes receiving one or more adaptive transport streams into a memory buffer at a HTTP streamer from a media preparation unit. The received transport streams include a plurality of switchable segments each comprising one or more delivery chunks, the switchable segments being marked with segment boundary points and the delivery chunks being marked with chunk boundary points. One or more of the delivery chunks are then transmitted from a requested switchable segment to a requesting client device until a terminating segment boundary point is reached, wherein each delivery chunk is independently decodable, and a client device can begin decoding and rendering received delivery chunks even when the HTTP streamer has not yet completely received the entire requested switchable segment from the media preparation unit.

主权项

1. A method of transmitting media content, comprising:
receiving an adaptive transport stream description at an HTTP streamer from a media preparation unit, the adaptive transport stream description describing media content available from the media preparation unit as one or more adaptive transport streams, wherein each of said one or more adaptive transport streams are continuous streams comprising a plurality of switchable segments each comprising one or more delivery chunks, the switchable segments being marked with segment boundary points and the delivery chunks being marked with chunk boundary points, wherein positions between each of said plurality of switchable segments are positions at which a client device can switch to a different one of said one or more adaptive transport streams; publishing a playlist with said HTTP streamer listing identifiers for one or more of said plurality of switchable segments; receiving said one or more adaptive transport streams into a memory buffer at said HTTP streamer from said media preparation unit; receiving a request at said HTTP streamer from said client device for a particular switchable segment identified on said playlist; and responding to said request using chunked transfer encoding by transmitting one or more delivery chunks from said particular switchable segment to said client device until a terminating segment boundary point is reached, wherein each of said one or more delivery chunks are portions of a single switchable segment that are independently decodable by said client device, such that said HTTP streamer is configured to begin sending delivery chunks from a requested switchable segment and said client device can begin decoding and rendering received delivery chunks even when said HTTP streamer has not yet completely received the requested switchable segment from said media preparation unit.