A Multimedia Terminal for Adaptation and End-to-end QoS Control

This paper addresses multimedia end user system design for content distribution over heterogeneous networks and terminals, with particular focus on End-to-End quality of service (QoS) control. A multimedia terminal comprising content-related metadata processor, usage environment characteristics provider, end user QoS monitor and H.264’s extension Scalable Video Coding (SVC) audio-visual player in coordination under a terminal middleware, has been conceived and implemented. This end user terminal enables End-to-End QoS control for content adaptation solution both in semantic and physical approaches to maximize end user’s perceptual experience and minimize resources. Such design approach illustrates a possible architecture for next generation multimedia end user terminal supporting MPEG- 21 and H.264’s extension SVC codec standards.