Parametric Packet-Layer Model for Evaluation Audio Quality in Multimedia Streaming Services

Noritsugu EGI  Takanori HAYASHI  Akira TAKAHASHI  

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications   Vol.E93-B   No.6   pp.1359-1366
Publication Date: 2010/06/01
Online ISSN: 1745-1345
DOI: 10.1587/transcom.E93.B.1359
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: Special Section PAPER (Special Section on Quality of Communication Networks and Services)
Category: 
Keyword: 
audio,  quality evaluation,  parametric packet-layer model,  multimedia streaming,  IPTV,  AAC,  

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Summary: 
We propose a parametric packet-layer model for monitoring audio quality in multimedia streaming services such as Internet protocol television (IPTV). This model estimates audio quality of experience (QoE) on the basis of quality degradation due to coding and packet loss of an audio sequence. The input parameters of this model are audio bit rate, sampling rate, frame length, packet-loss frequency, and average burst length. Audio bit rate, packet-loss frequency, and average burst length are calculated from header information in received IP packets. For sampling rate, frame length, and audio codec type, the values or the names used in monitored services are input into this model directly. We performed a subjective listening test to examine the relationships between these input parameters and perceived audio quality. The codec used in this test was the Advanced Audio Codec-Low Complexity (AAC-LC), which is one of the international standards for audio coding. On the basis of the test results, we developed an audio quality evaluation model. The verification results indicate that audio quality estimated by the proposed model has a high correlation with perceived audio quality.