Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP ( DASH ) using feedback linearization : a comparison with a leading Italian TV operator

Dynamic Adaptive Streaming Over HTTP (DASH) is a video streaming standardization effort that aims at building video content delivery systems that dynamically adapt video bitrates to match the time-varying bandwidth of a conventional HTTP connection over the Internet Protocol. In particular, the video content is segmented into a sequence of chunks, each one containing a short interval of playback time, for instance 6 seconds. Chunks are encoded at different bit rates and a DASH client, at the receiver side, automatically selects the next chunk to download based on current Internet available bandwidth. The control goal is to provide the best possible video quality while avoiding playback video interruptions, i.e. rebuffering events, in the presence of an unpredictable bandwidth. In this paper we design a new DASH controller using feedback linearization. A real implementation of the controller is tested and compared with the automatic video switching control of a leading Italian TV operator.