The use of scalable video with layered multicast has been shown to be an effective method to achieve rate control in heterogeneous networks. In this talk, we discuss the use of layered FEC as an error control mechanism that allows receivers to individually trade-off latency for received video quality.

While FEC-based error control methods are relieved from the ACK/NACK implosion problems of ARQ-based schemes, the use of layered FEC with scalable compression has several other advantages. First, it permits rate control and allows FEC to be used without overall data expansion. Second, unequal error protection can be conveniently employed. Third, FEC packets are multicast only to receivers that need them, thereby conserving network bandwidth.

The talk will cover an overview of the basic layered FEC scheme and discuss some practical issues such as choosing "good" scalable compression methods, rate control algorithms and error control codes for video multicast.