| description |
Stream synchronization is widely regarded as a fundamental problem
in the field of multimedia systems. Solutions to this problem can be
divided into adaptive and rigid mechanisms. While rigid mechanisms
are based on worst-case assumptions, adaptive ones monitor the
underlying network and are able to adapt themselves to changing
network conditions. In this paper, we will present an adaptive
stream synchronization protocol. This protocol supports any kind of
distribution of the sources and sinks of the streams to be
synchronized. It is based on a buffer level control mechanism,
allowing immediate corrections when the danger of a buffer overflow
or underflow is recognized. Moreover, the proposed protocol is
flexible enough to support a wide variety of synchronization
policies, which can be dynamically changed while synchronization is
in progress. Finally, the message overhead of this protocol is low
because control messages are only exchanged when network conditions
change.
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