This paper introduces source-channel adaptive rate control (SARC), a new congestion control algorithm for layered video transmission in large multicast groups. In order to solve the well-known feedback implosion problem in large multicast groups, we first present a mechanism for filtering RTCP receiver reports sent from receivers to the whole session. The proposed filtering mechanism provides a classification of receivers according to a predefined similarity measure. An end-to-end source and FEC rate control based on this distributed feedback aggregation mechanism coupled with a video layered coding system is then described. The number of layers, their rate, and their levels of protection are adapted dynamically to aggregated feedbacks. The algorithms have been validated with the NS2 network simulator.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Thomson multimedia R&D, 1 avenue Bellefontaine - CS 17616, Cesson-Sévigné, 35576, France

   Jérôme Viéron

2. INRIA, 2004 route des Lucioles, BP 93, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, 06902, France

   Thierry Turletti

3. Laboratoire d'Informatique de Paris 6 (LIP6), 8 rue du Capitaine Scott, Paris, 75015, France

   Kavé Salamatian

4. INRIA, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes Cedex, 35042, France

   Christine Guillemot

Corresponding author

Correspondence toJérôme Viéron.

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