Enhancing QoE of Adaptive Video Streaming by Generating Fine-Grained Throughput

Congkai An, Huanhuan Zhang, Jingyang Kang, Zhuo Liu, Anfu Zhou, Liang Liu, Huadong Ma

Abstract: On-demand video streaming continues to dominate the Internet, posing a formidable challenge in designing efficient adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms to enhance user quality-of-experience (QoE), particularly amplified by increasing video resolutions (e.g., from 1080P to 2K, 4K, and even 8K) and dynamic Internet conditions. Through a comprehensive study, we identify a common limitation in both existing throughput-based and hybrid-based ABR algorithms: they rely on coarse-grained network bandwidth estimation, missing detailed and accurate (i.e., millisecond-level) network variations. This often leads to misguided resolution (corresponding to bitrate level) decisions, resulting in unsatisfactory QoE. In this work, we propose SuperABR, a fine-grained throughput-driven ABR solution aimed at achieving the optimal bitrate adaptation. To accomplish this, SuperABR first incorporates a two-stage learning module, generating fine-grained future throughput to provide a near-Oracle network view. SuperABR then uses this fine-grained throughput to accurately calculate the download duration for a video chunk, transforming it into the optimal resolution decision via a custom-designed QoE benefit model. We have implemented SuperABR as a lightweight plug-in interface on a standard DASH framework and evaluate it over extensive real-world network traces. Extensive experiments demonstrate that SuperABR can generate accurate future throughput, resulting in a remarkable $1.21\sim 1.46\times $ QoE improvement over classic ABR solutions.