System and monitoring of video quality adaptation

1. A method of video quality adaptation, the method comprising:

acquiring video data encoded to play at a first playback speed, a first bitrate, and a first resolution;

receiving a user-requested playback speed;

determining that an available bandwidth on a communications network is insufficient to stream the video data at the requested playback speed and first resolution, wherein further, the available bandwidth corresponds to a second bitrate that is less than the first bitrate, wherein the second bitrate is the current maximum bitrate the available bandwidth allows;

calculating a second resolution that would enable the video data to stream over the communications network at the requested playback speed and at a third bitrate that is less than the second bitrate, the second resolution being less than the first resolution;

decoding the video data;

encoding the video data to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution;

streaming at the third bitrate, over the communications network, the video data encoded to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution; and

utilizing the remaining available bandwidth to stream additional video data to the remote video player at the requested playback speed and the first resolution such that the additional video data creates a buffer of video data, such that at a later time the video data played will be the buffered video data that is encoded at the requested playback speed and the first resolution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating comprises continuously monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the continuous monitoring.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the calculating comprises periodically monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the periodic monitoring.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the periodic monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the periodic monitoring comprises transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data.

8. A method of video quality adaptation, the method comprising:

acquiring video data having a first playback speed and a first resolution, based on a first bitrate;

receiving a user-requested playback speed;

determining an available bandwidth on a communications network, the available bandwidth corresponding to a second bitrate that is less than the first bitrate, wherein the second bitrate is the current maximum bitrate the available bandwidth allows;

calculating a second resolution that enables the video data to stream over the communications network at the requested playback speed and at a third bitrate that is less than the second bitrate, the second resolution being less than the first resolution,

encoding the video data to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution;

streaming at the third bitrate, over the communications network, the video data encoded to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution; and

utilizing the remaining available bandwidth to stream additional video data at the requested playback speed and the first resolution, wherein the additional video data creates a buffer of video data, such that at a later time the video data played will be the buffered video data that is encoded at the first playback speed and the requested resolution.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the calculating comprises continuously monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the continuous monitoring.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the calculating comprises periodically monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the periodic monitoring.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the periodic monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the periodic monitoring comprises transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data.

15. A video streaming system with video quality adaptation, the system comprising:

a computer readable medium upon which video data to be streamed is stored, the video data having a first playback speed and a first resolution, based on a first bitrate;

a remote video player programmed to present streaming video data received across a communications network;

a bandwidth monitor programmed to determine an available bandwidth across the communications network, wherein the determination includes periodic monitoring by transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data; and

a processor programmed to:

acquire the video data from the computer readable medium,

receive, a user-requested playback speed,

receive, from the bandwidth monitor, a second bitrate characterizing the available bandwidth, wherein the second bitrate is the current maximum bitrate the available bandwidth allows,

calculate a second resolution that would enable the video data to stream over the communications network at a third bitrate that is less than the second bitrate and play at the requested playback speed, based on the available bandwidth,

decode the video data,

encode the video data to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution,

stream at the third bitrate, over the communications network to the remote video player, the video data encoded to play at the requested playback speed and the second resolution, and

utilize the remaining available bandwidth to stream additional video data to the remote video player at the requested playback speed and the first resolution, wherein the additional video data creates a buffer of video data, such that at a later time the video data played will be the buffered video data that is encoded at the requested playback speed and the first resolution.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the calculating comprises continuously monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the continuous monitoring.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the continuous monitoring comprises transmitting the video data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the video data.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the calculating comprises periodically monitoring the available bandwidth on the communications network and updating, based on the monitoring, the second resolution, further wherein the encoding of the video data is based on the results of the periodic monitoring.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the periodic monitoring comprises transmitting a test packet of data and calculating the bandwidth based on the variable time required to transmit the test packet.