By Yasser F. Syed, PhD., Alex Giladi & Ali C. Begen, PhD, Comcast
Established MPEG-2 TS based video workflows have been used for distributing content in traditional consumer delivery ecosystems such as QAM-based cable, satellite, ABR Streaming, as well as over-the air broadcast. With the advent of adaptive streaming technologies such as MPEG DASH and Apple® HLS, these same content video workflows have been adapted to these new types of video distribution. With that said, manual workarounds are often needed to fit in the new features enabled by adaptive streaming. Thus, the ABR distribution workflows may still depend on MPEG-2 TS source content delivery systems for several years due to existing equipment and network tools, and the need to provide traditional QAM linear services [4]. It is expected that backend systems of MVPDs will change as third party content contribution and demultiplexed media component delivery becomes more widely used.
This paper describes new mechanisms in existing structures added, proposed or planned in the MPEG-2Systems (ISO/IEC 13818-1 8th ed) [9], SCTE 214 (DASH constraints). These additions to existing specifications can then be used in adapting the infrastructure to allow for better automation in mapping of source content into DASH structures for distribution of ABR streaming services.