Video multicast using Network Coding

We investigate the problem of video multicast in lossy networks using network coding and multiple description codes. The rate allocation for multiple descriptions can be optimized at the source to generate a scalable video bitstream such that the expected PSNR of the video at the receivers is maximized. We show that using network coding with multiple description codes can significantly improve the quality of video obtained at the receiver, in comparison to routing (with or without replication). Simulations show that as the loss rate increases, the improvement in the performance increases and in certain cases for loss rate of 0.20, the improvement can be as high as 3 to 3.5 dB when compared to routing with replication. Moreover, network coding obviates the need to construct multiple multicast trees for transmission, which is necessary in routing with replication.