Efficient streaming of bandwidth intensive and delay sensitive multimedia contents over error prone wireless links has proven to be one of the most challenging problems of the current era of digital communication. However, applying Unequal Error Protection (UEP) strategies at application layer and avoiding unnecessary packet discard at MAC layer yield valuable outcomes and can be incorporated to address the challenge. In this article, we have proposed the idea of discriminating classified video streaming calls from the data packeting over an IEEE WLAN link through bit demarcation in network packet headers, where remarkable concept of UDP-Lite deployed at the transport layer further assists in UEP implementation of the inevitable video parts later on MAC layer. In this way, error computation at various network levels are evaluated and disabled in order to attain increased throughput characterized by the higher number of packets available for decoding, enhanced multimedia visual quality due to gap elimination (appears as a consequence of some frame loss), efficient utilization of link bandwidth with no re-transmissions and reduced delays with least error checksum computations and packet re-transmissions. Promising experimental outcomes have been shown in tabular and graphical forms, particularly represented through subjective assessment of the reconstructed video clips with an emphasis on viewer QoE (Quality of Experience).
['Saima Shaheen', 'M. Usman Akram', 'Aasia Khanum', 'Shoab Ahmad Khan', 'M. Younas Javed']
A cross layer error control scheme for efficient WLAN multimedia streaming