The transmission of audio and video content using various communications networks has increased dramatically in recent years. One popular transmission technique for such content is adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming, in which audio and video quality may be periodically adjusted throughout transmission, for example in response to changing and/or unstable network conditions. One characteristic of ABR streaming is that a client typically holds multiple seconds of video in its player video frame buffer. This buffering is particularly advantageous to minimize stalling of playback when network conditions deteriorate. However, while buffering in this manner may provide advantages for deteriorating and/or unstable network conditions, the buffering may also be disadvantageous, for example in scenarios when network conditions have improved and/or stabilized. For example, buffering in this manner may contribute significantly to end-to-end latency. In particular, the amount of buffered video may not decrease even after a network condition improves, and, therefore, the end-to-end latency may not be reduced throughout the entire course of a streaming session. In some examples, this contribution to end-to-end latency may be particularly problematic for live streaming scenarios, in which video of a live event (e.g., video game, news event, sports event, etc.) may be captured, transmitted, and viewed while the event is occurring live. For example, live streaming video of a basketball game may be less enjoyable when a radio broadcast of the same event may reveal the outcomes of plays before they can be seen using the live streaming video transmission.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds