Skip to main content
Log in

An RTP/RTCP based approach for multimedia group and inter-stream synchronization

  • Published:
Multimedia Tools and Applications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most multimedia group and inter-stream synchronization techniques define or use proprietary protocols with new control messages. Many multimedia applications have been developed using RTP/RTCP as the standard for transmission of multimedia streams over IP networks. Instead of defining a new protocol, we propose the use of RTP/RTCP to provide synchronization. We take advantage of the feedback capabilities provided by RTCP and the ability to extend the protocol by extending and creating RTCP messages containing synchronization information. We have implemented our proposal and tested it in our University WAN. Our experiments have shown that network load resulting from synchronization is minimized and that asynchronies are within acceptable limits for multimedia applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23
Fig. 24

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We suppose network delay from source to receiver is equal to the one from receiver to source, as ICMP or RTP/RTCP suppose.

References

  1. Akyildiz IF, Yen W (1996) Multimedia group synchronization protocols for integrated services networks. IEEE J Select Areas Commun 14:162–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Boronat F (2004) Specification and evaluation of a Multimedia group synchronization algorithm, PhD Thesis, Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Spain. April

  3. Boronat F, Guerri JC (2005) Analysis and comparison of multimedia inter-stream and group synchronisation algorithms. IEEE Lat Am Trans 3(5), Dic.

  4. Boukerche A, Owens H (2005) Media synchronization and qos packet scheduling algorithms for wireless systems. Mob Netw Appl 10(1–2):233–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Burmeister C, Hakenberg R, Miyazaki A, Ott J, Sato N, Fukunaga S (2006) Extended RTP Profile for Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP)-Based Feedback: results of the Timing Rule Simulations. RFC 4586, Network Working Group, July

  6. Diot C, Gautier L (1999) A distributed architecture for multiplayer interactive applications on the internet. IEEE Netw 13:6–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gili J, Roser M, Vicente A (1995) MPEG video coding algorithm: image quality subjective assessment. Telef R&D Commun 6(1):20–31

    Google Scholar 

  8. Guerri JC (1997) Specification and performance evaluation of an adaptive multimedia stream synchronization protocol based on global time and feedback techniques, with stream control Thesis, U.P.V. June

  9. Guerri JC, Esteve M, Palau CE, Casares V (2001) Feedback flow control with hysteresial techniques for multimedia retrievals. Multimedia Tools and Applications 13(3):307–332

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Ishibashi Y, Tasaka S, Miyamoto H (2002) Joint synchronization between stored media with interactive control and live media in multicast communications. Multimedia Syst E85-B(4):812

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ishibashi Y, Hasegawa T, Tasaka S (2004) Group synchronization control for Haptic Media in Networked Virtual Environments, 12th International Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2004, HAPTICS ‘04 Proceedings, ISBN 0-7695-212-6, pp. 106–113.

  12. ITU-R Rec. BT. 500 (2002) Methodology for the subjective assessment of the quality of television pictures. Geneva, June

  13. Kaneoka H, Ishibashi Y (2004) Effects of group synchronization control over haptic media in collaborative work. In: Proc. the 14th international conference on artificial reality and telexistence (ICAT'04), pp. 138–145, Nov/Dec

  14. Kouvelas I, Hardman V (1997) Overcoming workstation scheduling problems in a real-time audio tool. In: Proc. USENIX, Anaheim, CA, pp. 235–242, Jan

  15. Kouvelas Y, Hardman V, Watson A (1996) Lip Synchronization for use over the Internet: analysis and Implementation. Technical report, Department of Computer Science, University College London

  16. Kutscher D, Ott J (2000) The Message Bus. A Communication - integration Infrastructure for Component-based Systems, White paper, January 2000. http://www.mbus.org/mbuswp.pdf

  17. Laoutaris N, Stavrakakis I (2002) Intrastream synchronization for continuous media streams: a survey of playout schedulers. IEEE Netw Mag 16(3):30–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Manvi SS, Venkataram P (2006) An agent based synchronization scheme for multimedia applications. J Syst Softw (JSS) 79(5):701–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. McCanne S, Jacobson V (1995) Vic: A flexible framework for packet video. ACM Multimedia, San Francisco, CA, pp 511–522

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mills DL (1991) Internet time synchronization the network time protocol. IEEE Trans Commun 39(10):1482–1493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Ott J, Wenger S, Sato N, Burmeister C, Rey J (2006) Extended RTP Profile for Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP)-Based Feedback (RTP/AVPF), RFC 4585, Network Working Group, July

  22. Roccetti M, Ghini V, Pau G, Salomoni P, Bonfigli ME (2001) Design and experimental evaluation of an adaptive playout delay control mechanism for packetized audio for use over the internet. Multimedia Tools and Applications 14(1):23–53

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ramanathan S, Rangan PV (1993) Feedback techniques for intra-media continuity and inter-media synchronization in distributed multimedia systems. Comput J 36(1):19–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Rangan PV, Ramanathan S (1992) Designing an on-demand multimedia service. IEEE Commun Mag 30(7):56–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Rangan PV, Ramanathan S (1995) Performance of inter-media synchronization in distributed and heterogeneous multimedia systems, 1993. Comput Netw ISDN Syst 27(4):549–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Rangan PV, Ramanathan S, Sampathkumar S (1995) Feedback techniques for continuity and synchronization in multimedia information retrieval. ACM Trans Inf Syst (TOIS) 13(2):145–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Schulzrinne H, Casner S, Frederick R, Jacobson V (2003) RTP: a transport protocol for real-time applications. RFC 3550, July

  28. Steinmetz R (1996) Human perception of jitter and media skew. IEEE J Select Areas Commun 14(1):61–72

    Google Scholar 

  29. The Spanish Academic and Research network, Red IRIS. http://www.rediris.es/

  30. Yavatkar R, Lakshman K (1994) Communication support for distributed collaborative applications. Multimedia Syst 2(4):74–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Boronat Seguí.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Boronat Seguí, F., Guerri Cebollada, J.C. & Lloret Mauri, J. An RTP/RTCP based approach for multimedia group and inter-stream synchronization. Multimed Tools Appl 40, 285–319 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-008-0208-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-008-0208-1

Keywords

Navigation