Introduction to Media Synchronization (MediaSync)

Mario Montagud, Pablo César, Fernando Boronat, Jack Jansen

Abstract: Media synchronization is a core research area in multimedia systems. This chapter introduces the area by providing key definitions, classifications, and examples. It also discusses the relevance of different types of media synchronization to ensure satisfactory Quality of Experience (QoE) levels and highlights their necessity, by comparing the magnitudes of delay differences in real scenarios to the tolerable limits to the human perception. The chapter concludes with a brief description of the main aspects and components of media synchronization solutions, with the goal of providing a better understanding of this timely research area.