Performance of HEVC video coding for delivery over IP networks
particularly when using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which lacks inherent error correction mechanisms. This
study... See more
particularly when using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which lacks inherent error correction mechanisms. This
study provides a comprehensive framework for selecting HEVC encoding configurations based on motion content
and network condition. The paper evaluates the packet loss resilience of various HEVC encoding configurations
across video content with high-motion, intermediate-motion, and low-motion activity. Utilizing UDP streaming
in conjunction with the MPEG Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) container, video quality was quantified using the
Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) under packet loss rates of
up to 1.0%. Three HEVC encoding configurations IPPP, periodic I, and periodic IDR were assessed. The results
indicate that periodic IDR, with its closed GOP structure, achieves the highest resilience to packet loss, rendering
it ideal for unreliable networks. Specifically, for high-motion video content, periodic IDR limited PSNR degradation to 6.97 dB (from 28.78 dB to 21.87 dB) under a 0.5% packet loss rate. For intermediate-motion content
(Mobcal), PSNR decreased by 9.26 dB (from 34.85 dB to 25.23 dB), and for low-motion content (FourPeople),
PSNR degraded by 6.96 dB (from 40.87 dB to 33.91 dB), consistently outperforming the other configurations. In
contrast, periodic I demonstrated moderate resilience, with PSNR degradation of 9.6 dB for high-motion content,
up to 14.36 dB for intermediate-motion content, and approximately 11.46 dB for low-motion content. The IPPP
configuration exhibited the greatest vulnerability, with PSNR degradations of 12.66 dB, 18.7 dB, and 11.95 dB for
Crowd_run, Mobcal, and FourPeople, respectively, due to extensive error propagation inherent in its open GOP
structure. The findings advance the understanding of error resilience in video compression and offer practical
guidelines for maximizing video quality in real-world streaming scenarios over lossy IP networks.
2026-01