Joint Source and Channel Coding for Real Time H.264 coded Video Transmission Using Mobile Hand-held Devices

Abstract This paper proposes a joint source channel coding scheme for robust real time transmission of H.264/AVC coded video over noisy channels and under bandwidth limitations. A new method of rate adaptation to the allowed maximum channel transmission rate which does not assume source rate control in the source coder has been proposed. This keeps system complexity reasonable and improves the perceived decoded video quality. These are desirable features for two-way video-conferencing using mobile hand-held devices. Data partitioning is used to code the source data. Then, unequal error protection is applied at the network abstraction layer. For robustness, we use joint optimization of forward error correction at the transmitter and error concealment at the source decoder. A low complexity and efficient algorithm of channel code rate allocation to the network abstraction layer units is then developed. Simulation results show that the perceived decoded video quality is improved for small levels of signal-to-noise ratio.

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