Nokia Bell Labs Proposes New Method for Omnidirectional Video Streaming

Nokia Oyj's research arm, Bell Labs, has introduced a novel technique for streaming omnidirectional video, a format commonly used in virtual reality (VR) applications. The method, termed Shared Coded Picture (SCP), aims to enhance the efficiency of VR content delivery by reducing bandwidth requirements and simplifying the decoding process.

Traditional methods for streaming 360-degree video often employ a "motion constrained tile set" (MCTS) approach. This involves dividing the video into segments or 'tiles' and transmitting different quality levels of these tiles based on the user's view. However, these methods typically necessitate frequent 'intra random access points' to ensure smooth transitions, which can lead to high bitrates at switching points or demand complex multi-layer decoders, often incompatible with standards like OMAF (Omnidirectional MediA Format).

The newly proposed SCP-based scheme from Nokia seeks to overcome these limitations. The core innovation lies in manipulating the switching point pictures within the video stream. This manipulation eliminates the need for frequent intra-coded pictures during viewport switching between different quality versions of the video, thereby reducing bitrate spikes and decoder complexity.

Experimental results presented in the publication indicate that the SCP-based method achieves an average reduction in streaming bitrate of 11% to 14% compared to the MCTS method. Furthermore, it introduces only a minor increase in decoding complexity, approximately 4%. This improvement makes the SCP method a more viable and efficient solution for delivering high-quality omnidirectional video, particularly for consumption on diverse devices.