Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein enable a more efficient allocation of one or more shared network resources (e.g., bandwidth, memory, processor time, etc.) amongst a number of client devices based on media content data complexity and client device resource constraints in order to better manage perceptual playback quality of adaptive streaming content. In some implementations, a method includes aligning sequences of one or more temporal segments such that time boundaries of temporal segments across the sequences are in alignment; and, selecting segment representations for each temporal segment based on a combination of the sequence alignment and perceptual quality level values associated with available segment representations, such that a combination of resulting perceptual quality levels satisfies a joint quality criterion. Each sequence is associated with a respective one of a number of client devices sharing a network resource and an instance of a respective video stream.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an HTTP streaming session may be initiated at a client device in a network. The client device may have a buffer and may be configured to request and receive one or more data segments over HTTP from an HTTP server. A first data segment at a first data source rate may be requested and subsequently received. The first data segment may be stored in the buffer. A second data source rate may then be calculated based on a storage level in the buffer, and a second data segment at the second data source rate may be requested.

Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein enable a more efficient allocation of one or more shared network resources (e.g., bandwidth, memory, processor time, etc.) amongst a number of client devices based on media content data complexity and client device resource constraints in order to better manage perceptual playback quality of adaptive streaming content. In some implementations, a method includes aligning sequences of one or more temporal segments such that time boundaries of temporal segments across the sequences are in alignment; and, selecting segment representations for each temporal segment based on a combination of the sequence alignment and perceptual quality level values associated with available segment representations, such that a combination of resulting perceptual quality levels satisfies a joint quality criterion. Each sequence is associated with a respective one of a number of client devices sharing a network resource and an instance of a respective video stream.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving fast channel change (FCC) data for a program, the FCC data having a first set of content identifiers, receiving a video stream for the program, the video stream having a second set of content identifiers, changing at least one of the first set of content identifiers of the FCC data or the second set of content identifiers of the video stream to a common set of content identifiers, and providing the changed FCC data and video stream to a decoder.

Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein enable a more efficient allocation of one or more shared network resources (e.g., bandwidth, memory, processor time, etc.) amongst a number of client devices based on media content data complexity and client device resource constraints in order to better manage perceptual playback quality of adaptive streaming content. In some implementations, a method includes aligning sequences of one or more temporal segments; and, selecting segment representations for each temporal segment based on a combination of the sequence alignment and perceptual quality level values associated with available segment representations, such that a combination of resulting perceptual quality levels satisfies a joint quality criterion. Each sequence is associated with one of a number of client devices sharing a network resource. The one or more temporal segments of each sequence are used to provide segment representations of media content data to one of the client devices.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes communicating content to a content receiver, where a first portion of the content has a first drop priority. The method also includes determining a buffer status for a buffer at the content receiver, and adjusting the first drop priority to a second drop priority for a second portion of the content based on the buffer status. In more particular embodiments, the second drop priority can be higher than the first drop priority of the first portion of the content if the buffer is full or above a threshold. Also, the second drop priority can be lower than the first drop priority of the first portion of the content if content in the buffer has not started to render.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an HTTP streaming session may be initiated at a client device in a network. The client device may have a buffer and may be configured to request and receive one or more data segments over HTTP from an HTTP server. A first data segment at a first data source rate may be requested and subsequently received. The first data segment may be stored in the buffer. A second data source rate may then be calculated based on a storage level in the buffer, and a second data segment at the second data source rate may be requested.

Abstract: An apparatus can include a session rate limit calculator and a rate limiter. The session rate limit calculator can be configured to compute a session rate limit for a given session of a plurality of active streaming media sessions based on state information for the given session and state information for a downstream bottleneck link to which the apparatus feeds the plurality of active streaming media sessions. The rate limiter can be configured to control downstream traffic for the given session based on the computed session rate limit and to provide corresponding rate-limited downstream traffic for the given session.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an HTTP streaming session may be initiated at a client device in a network. The client device may have a buffer and may be configured to request and receive one or more data segments over HTTP from an HTTP server. A first data segment at a first data source rate may be requested and subsequently received. The first data segment may be stored in the buffer. A second data source rate may then be calculated based on a storage level in the buffer, and a second data segment at the second data source rate may be requested.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving video data at an adaptive bitrate (ABR) client that includes a buffer; determining whether a buffer level for the buffer is below a target buffer level; applying a random delay for a fetch interval associated with requesting the video data; and requesting a next segment of the video data after the random delay. The random delay can provide for a plurality of fetch times to become decorrelated from each other.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for optimizing quality in adaptive streaming, where information is obtained relating to encoding bitrates and content quality scores for content segments of a content stream. The content segments of the content stream are provided by a content server and downloaded by a computing device. For each content segment, an encoding bitrate is determined for downloading the content segment from the content server, where determining the encoding bitrate for a current content segment is based upon an estimated current network bandwidth, constraints of a buffer into which downloaded content segments are stored, and also upon quality scores associated with content segments within a selected horizon extending from the current content segment to a future content segment in the content stream at an endpoint of the horizon. Each content segment with the determined bitrate for the content segment is downloaded from the content server.

Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein enable a more efficient allocation of one or more shared network resources (e.g., bandwidth, memory, processor time, etc.) amongst a number of client devices based on media content data complexity and client device resource constraints in order to better manage perceptual playback quality of adaptive streaming content. In some implementations, a method includes aligning sequences of one or more temporal segments; and, selecting segment representations for each temporal segment based on a combination of the sequence alignment and perceptual quality level values associated with available segment representations, such that a combination of resulting perceptual quality levels satisfies a joint quality criterion. Each sequence is associated with one of a number of client devices sharing a network resource. The one or more temporal segments of each sequence are used to provide segment representations of media content data to one of the client devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a current encoding rate requested by a client device for content received from a content source, setting at a network device a rate limit to limit the rate at which the content is received at the client device based on the current encoding rate, and adjusting the rate limit based on changes in the current encoding rate. The rate limit is set to allow the client device to change the current encoding rate to a next higher available encoding rate.

Abstract: Content is received within a network at a content receiver and that is communicated from a content source, where the content comprises packets to be sent to the content receiver that are marked with a first drop priority or a second drop priority. A network priority is detected at the content receiver that is based at least in part upon a ratio of packets marked with the first drop priority to packets marked with the second drop priority within the content and also a determination at the content receiver of a rate of packets dropped that are marked with the first drop priority and a rate of packets dropped that are marked with the second drop priority.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating a transmission control protocol (TCP) flow; marking a plurality of packets of the TCP flow with one of two differentiated services code points (DSCPs) according to a proportion that is selected to control a throughput associated with the TCP flow; and communicating at least a portion of the plurality of packets to a network.

Abstract: Content is received within a network at a content receiver and that is communicated from a content source, where the content comprises packets to be sent to the content receiver that are marked with a first drop priority or a second drop priority. A network priority is detected at the content receiver that is based at least in part upon a ratio of packets marked with the first drop priority to packets marked with the second drop priority within the content and also a determination at the content receiver of a rate of packets dropped that are marked with the first drop priority and a rate of packets dropped that are marked with the second drop priority.

Abstract: An apparatus can include a session rate limit calculator and a rate limiter. The session rate limit calculator can be configured to compute a session rate limit for a given session of a plurality of active streaming media sessions based on state information for the given session and state information for a downstream bottleneck link to which the apparatus feeds the plurality of active streaming media sessions. The rate limiter can be configured to control downstream traffic for the given session based on the computed session rate limit and to provide corresponding rate-limited downstream traffic for the given session.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an HTTP streaming session may be initiated at a client device in a network. The client device may have a buffer and may be configured to request and receive one or more data segments over HTTP from an HTTP server. A first data segment at a first data source rate may be requested and subsequently received. The first data segment may be stored in the buffer. A second data source rate may then be calculated based on a storage level in the buffer, and a second data segment at the second data source rate may be requested.

Abstract: Content is received within a network by a content receiver based upon fetch requests by the content receiver to a content source, where the fetch requests for content are based upon a first adaptation logic scheme to fill a buffer of the content receiver at a selected rate and to download segments of content at selected encoding rates. A network priority is detected at the content receiver that includes an observed download rate at the content receiver that is greater than a fair share rate for other content receivers in the network. Fetch requests for content are revised in response to detection of the network priority, where the revised fetch requests are based upon a priority adaptation scheme that results in at least one of filling the buffer at a faster rate and downloading segments of content at higher encoding rates compared with the first adaptation logic scheme.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for optimizing quality in adaptive streaming, where information is obtained relating to encoding bitrates and content quality scores for content segments of a content stream. The content segments of the content stream are provided by a content server and downloaded by a computing device. For each content segment, an encoding bitrate is determined for downloading the content segment from the content server, where determining the encoding bitrate for a current content segment is based upon an estimated current network bandwidth, constraints of a buffer into which downloaded content segments are stored, and also upon quality scores associated with content segments within a selected horizon extending from the current content segment to a future content segment in the content stream at an endpoint of the horizon. Each content segment with the determined bitrate for the content segment is downloaded from the content server.