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Context-dependent software solutions to handle video synchronization and delay in collaborative live mobile video production

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Abstract

The advent of modern mobile phones, 3G networks, and live video streaming has made it possible to broadcast live video from mobile devices. This is now giving rise to a new class of applications which enable mobile collaborative live video production, in which groups of amateurs work together to provide a rich broadcast of events. We focus on new and expected synchronization problems that arise in these more complex systems when broadcasting live events because of the delays that often occur in streaming over internet and mobile networks. The problem has been investigated by acquiring initial user feedback, as well as conducting technical delay measurements of two examples of such systems and relating them to existing literature. We identified two types of technical problems which affect the mixing of the streams, namely the difference in delay in multiple streams, a.k.a. asynchrony among streams, and the delay between the event itself and its presentation in the mixer. These problems affect the mixing in various ways depending on whether or not the director has visual access to the unmediated event. This knowledge has then been used to inform the conceptualization of identifiable ways of handling delays and synchronization. We suggest the introduction of a software feature providing context-dependent delay, in which these requirements can be balanced differently to fit specific contexts of use. We specifically address the different types of mixing which occurs when the director, or mixer, only has access to the topic through the mobile media (“out of view”), as well as mixing in a context in which the topic also is physically present (“in-view”) in front of the mixer.

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Abbreviations

HD:

High definition

IBS:

Instant broadcasting system

MVM:

Mobile vision mixer

NTP:

Network time protocol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mobile Life @ Stockholm University, Box 1197, 164 26, Kista, Sweden

    Mudassar Ahmad Mughal

  2. Mobile Life @ Interactive Institute, Box 1197, 164 26, Kista, Sweden

    Oskar Juhlin

Authors
  1. Mudassar Ahmad Mughal
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  2. Oskar Juhlin
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Correspondence to Mudassar Ahmad Mughal.

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Mughal, M.A., Juhlin, O. Context-dependent software solutions to handle video synchronization and delay in collaborative live mobile video production. Pers Ubiquit Comput 18, 709–721 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-013-0701-z

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