It has been well recognized as an efficient approach for broadcasting popular videos by partitioning a video data stream into multiple segments and launching each segment through an individual channel simultaneously and periodically. Based on the design premises, some recent studies, including skyscraper broadcasting (SkB), client-centric approach (CCA), greedy disk-conserving broadcasting (GDB), and reverse fast broadcasting (RFB) schemes, etc., have been reported. To study the client segment downloading process, this paper first introduces an applicable sequence-based broadcasting model that can be used to minimize the required buffer size. By extending RFB, this paper further proposes a reverse sequence-based broadcasting model, which can generally improve the existing schemes such as SkB, CCA, GDB, and FB in terms of the relaxed client buffer size. To have a deeper understanding on the proposed reverse model, the upper bound of the client buffer requirement is obtained through a comprehensive analysis, which is proved to be much smaller than the conventional sequence model by 25% to 50%. Based on the proposed reverse model, a reverse sequence-based broadcasting scheme is developed for achieving smaller delay than CCA and GDB.

With the growth of broadband networks, video-on-demand (VoD) has become realistic. Many significant broadcasting schemes have been proposed to reduce the viewers' waiting time. However, clients are required to receive video segments from all channels altogether. This disregard incurs more buffer requirements. To escape from this constraint, we propose a novel interleaving staircase-harmonic broadcasting (ISHB) scheme, which focuses on buffer saving, and the viewers' waiting time approaches to theoretical lower bound. Furthermore, the scheme uses the interleaving technology to mitigate the effect of packet losses. Given a fixed bandwidth, the ISHB scheme buffers only 25% of a playing video. In comparison with the fast broadcasting (FB), recursive frequency-splitting (RFS) and interleaving harmonic broadcasting (IHB) schemes, the ISHB scheme saves the buffer requirements by 50%, 33% and 33%.

One way to broadcast a popular video is to partition the video into segments, which are broadcast on several streams periodically. The approach lets multiple users share streams; thus, the stress on scarce bandwidth can be alleviated without sacrificing viewers' waiting time. One representative approach is the staircase broadcasting (SB) scheme, which can broadcast a video using multiple streams by having new viewers wait no longer than /spl theta/(L/N) time, where L is the length of a video, and N is the number of segments. In comparison with other segmented schemes, the SB scheme requires a smaller disk buffer and lower disk transfer rate. However, the scheme mainly supports transmission of CBR-encoded videos. We propose a simple VBR staircase broadcasting (SVSB) scheme, which supports VBR-encoded videos and its bandwidth requirements are constant. Some bounds on the bandwidth consumption, the buffer requirements, and the required disk transfer rate are also developed. Experimental results indicate that the SVSB scheme outperforms the variable bandwidth harmonic broadcasting (VBHB) scheme on maximum buffer requirements, and maximum required disk transfer rate.

With the growth of broadband networks, video-on-demand (VoD) has become realistic. Many significant broadcasting schemes have been proposed to reduce the bandwidth requirement for stored popular videos, but they cannot be used for provide reliable delivery over lossy channels perfectly. Herein, we propose a new broadcasting scheme, called the interleaving harmonic broadcasting (IHB) scheme, which guarantees continuous playback, and mitigates the effect of packet losses. Further, in comparison with the poly-harmonic broadcasting (PHB), cautions harmonic broadcasting (CHB) scheme, reliable periodic broadcasting (RPB) scheme and second chance broadcasting (SCB) scheme, the IHB outperforms on required bandwidth, maximum required buffers and maximum disk transfer rate.

With the growth of broadband networks, the video-on-demand (VoD) becomes realistic. Many significant broadcasting schemes are proposed to reduce the bandwidth requirements for stored popular videos, but they cannot be used to support live video broadcast perfectly. Herein, we propose a new broadcasting scheme, called adaptive live broadcasting (ALB) scheme, which supports live video broadcasting and performs well over a wide range of request arrival rates. From our analysis and comparison, we find that our ALB scheme is suitable to broadcast live video. It has several significant advantages: (1) it has the shortest maximum waiting time with fixed channels; (2) it has the least maximum I/O transfer requirements with fixed maximum waiting time at client end. Finally, a simulation is employed to evaluate several live broadcasting schemes, such as UD, ST AFB and ALB. The results reveal our ALB scheme consumes the least server bandwidth.