HTTP streaming on Android - commercial deployment of MPEG-DASH

On November 6, 2012, Fraunhofer IIS and BuyDRM presented in Los Angeles one of the first commercial multimedia streaming systems based on MPEG-DASH ISO standard and Microsoft's PlayReady DRM, to be used on mobile devices running Android operating system. The showcase organized together with HBO, the content provider, proved the tendency of the industry to utilize the potential of mobile devices as "second screens" and content delivery means. According to media analysts forecasts, tablets and smartphones will increasingly complement or replace televisions.

The innovative solution from Fraunhofer IIS and BuyDRM allows secure transmission of surround sound and video, automatically adjusting the bitrates to changing network conditions. Currently, the solution is available for HBO GO subscribers using Android devices. The application is as easy as playing a BluRay or DVD.

 

 

MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) was approved in November 2011. This standard for streaming media is to ensure the highest possible quality (QoE - Quality of Experience) and unify various currently used systems such as Microsoft's Smooth Streaming, Adobe's HTTP Dynamic Streaming and Apple's HTTP Live Streaming. The biggest advantage of MPEG-DASH is the fact that the content is made available as segments at a variety of different bit rates. The MPEG-DASH clients select segments with the highest bit rates possible for seamless playback, avoiding problems with stalls or rebuffering in less efficient networks.

MPEG-DASH was one of the solutions promoted by Fraunhofer IIS during this year's IBC conference in Amsterdam. Fraunhofer IIS Audio & Multimedia division, based in Erlangen, Germany, has a 20 years of experience in audio compression technology and remains a leading innovator of multimedia systems. It has a significant contribution to the development of MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) used to transmit and broadcast streams in over 5 billion devices worldwide. Its codecs are used in HTML 5, Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and Google Chrome. Fraunhofer IIS also has been developing MPEG Surround to support multiple audio channels, utilized in the project described at the outset.

There is no doubt that the market for broadband streaming will significantly grow over the coming years. Adaptive streaming techniques, such as MPEG-DASH, will greatly accelerate this process.