Enhancing video quality for broadcast video services
View Patent ↗A method, system, and medium are provided for delivering broadcast video content at varying levels of video quality. In particular, a source video stream is provided that is divided into two or more video substreams such that the video substreams include offset frames from the source video stream. The video substreams are modulated onto one or more air interface channels. Mobile devices may be configured to access only one of the video substreams to present video content at a lower frame rate or to access multiple video substreams to present video content at a higher frame rate.
1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method, the method comprising:
providing a video stream at a given frame rate;
splitting the video stream into two or more video substreams containing offset frames from the video stream;
modulating the two or more video substreams onto one or more air interface channels;
when a first mobile device is configured to combine the two or more video substreams, wherein the first mobile device is capable of accessing and combining multiple video substreams:
(1) allowing the first mobile device to access a first video substream of the two or more video substreams based on subscription to a basic broadcast video service, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the first mobile device at a lower frame rate; and
(2) allowing the first mobile device to access both the offset frames of the first video substream and the offset frames of a second video substream of the two or more video substreams based on subscription to a premium broadcast video service, wherein the first mobile device combines the offset frames of the first video substream and the offset frames of the second video substream to present video content associated with the first and second video substreams on the display associated with the first mobile device at a higher frame rate; and
when a second mobile device is not configured to combine the two or more video substreams, wherein the second mobile device is not capable of accessing and combining multiple video substreams:
(1) allowing the second mobile device to access the first video substream based on subscription to a basic broadcast video service, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the second mobile device at a lower frame rate.
2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein splitting the video stream comprises splitting the video stream into the first video substream and the second video substream, wherein the first video substream includes every other frame from the video stream and the second video substream includes remaining frames from the video stream.
3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein the given frame rate of the video stream is 30 frames per second and the first video substream and the second video substream each have a frame rate of 15 frames per second.
4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein modulating the two or more video substreams onto one or more air interface channels comprises modulating the first video substream onto a first air interface channel and modulating the second video substream onto a second air interface channel.
5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein modulating the two or more video substreams onto one or more air interface channels comprises modulating the first video substream onto a first portion of a given air interface channel and modulating the second video substream onto a second portion of the given air interface channel.
6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 5 , wherein the first portion and second portion comprise time slots of the given air interface channel.
7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method, the method comprising:
providing a first video substream and a second video substream, wherein the first video substream and the second video substream are derived from a source video stream of a given frame rate, and wherein the first video substream and the second video substream contain offset frames from the source video stream;
modulating the first video substream onto a first air interface channel and the second video substream onto a second air interface channel;
when a first mobile device is configured to combine the first video substream and the second video substream, wherein the first mobile device is capable of accessing and combining multiple video substreams from the first air interface channel and the second air interface channel:
(1) allowing the first mobile device to access the first video substream based on subscription to a basic broadcast video service, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the first mobile device at a lower frame rate; and
(2) allowing the first mobile device to access both the offset frames of the first video substream and the offset frames of the second video substream based on subscription to a premium broadcast video service, wherein the first mobile device combines the offset frames of the first video substream and the offset frames of the second video substream to present video content associated with the first and second video substreams on the display associated with the first mobile device at a higher frame rate; and
when a second mobile device is not configured to combine the first video substream and the second video substream, wherein the second mobile device is not capable of accessing and combining multiple video substreams in the first air interface and the second air interface:
(1) allowing the second mobile device to access the first video substream based on subscription to a basic broadcast video service, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the second mobile device at a lower frame rate.
8. A system comprising:
a broadcast server providing video content associated with a source video stream;
a radio network controller for receiving the video content from the broadcast server and placing a first video substream and a second video substream onto one or more air interface channels, wherein the first video substream and the second video substream include offset frames associated with the source video stream;
a base transceiver station for transmitting one or more signals comprising the one or more air interface channels, the base transceiver station broadcasting the one or more signals to a plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device:
when the first mobile device is configured to combine the first video substream and the second video substream, wherein the first mobile device is capable of accessing and combining multiple video sub streams:
(1) the first mobile device accessing the first video substream based on a basic broadcast video service subscription, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the first mobile device at a lower frame rate,
(2) the first mobile device accessing both the first and second video substreams based on a premium broadcast video service subscription and combining the first and second video substreams to present video content associated with the first and second video substreams on the display associated with the first mobile device at a higher frame rate; and
when the second mobile device is not configured to combine the first video substream and the second video substream, wherein the second mobile device is not capable of accessing and combining multiple video substreams:
(1) allowing the second mobile device to access the first video substream based on subscription to a basic broadcast video service, wherein video content associated with the first video substream is presented on a display associated with the second mobile device at a lower frame rate.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video content comprises the source video stream, and wherein the radio network controller splits the source video stream into the first and second video substreams.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video content comprises the first and second substreams.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the radio network controller places the first video substream onto a first air interface channel and places the second video substream onto a second air interface channel.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the radio network controller places the first video substream onto a first portion of an air interface channel and places the second video substream onto a second portion of an air interface channel.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the source video stream is provided at a frame rate of 30 frames per second, and wherein the first video substream and the second video substream are each provided at a frame rate of 15 frames per second.