High resolution live streaming with the HYDRA architecture

Digital continuous media (CM) are now well established as an integral part of many applications. With highdefinition (HD) displays becoming increasingly common and large network bandwidth available, high-quality video streaming has become feasible, and novel, innovative applications possible. However, the majority of existing systems for HD-quality streaming are based on offline content and use elaborate buffering techniques that introduce long latencies. Therefore, these solutions are ill-equipped for interactive real-time applications. Also, due to the massive amount of data required to transmit such streams, simultaneously achieving low latency and keeping the bandwidth low are contradictory requirements. Our HYDRA project (Highperformance Data Recording Architecture) focuses on the acquisition, transmission, storage, and rendering of high-resolution media such as H-quality video and multiple channels of audio. HYDRA consists of multiple components to achieve its overall functionality. Here we elaborate on the live-streaming capabilities of HYDRA that enable media streaming across an IP-based network with commodity equipment.