Mitigating Transmission Errors: A Forward Error Correction-Based Framework for Enhancing Objective Video Quality

Abstract

In video transmission, maintaining high visual quality under variable network conditions, including bandwidth and efficiency, is essential for optimal viewer experience. Channel errors or malicious attacks during transmission can cause degradation in video quality, affecting its secure transmission and putting its confidentiality and integrity at risk. This paper presents a novel approach to enhancing objective video quality by integrating an energy-efficient forward error correction (FEC) technique into video encoding and transmission processes. Moreover, it ensures that the video contents remain secure and unintelligible to unauthorized parties. This is achieved by combining H.264/AVC syntax-based encryption and decryption algorithms with error correction during the video coding process to provide end-to-end confidentiality. Unlike traditional error correction strategies, our approach dynamically adjusts redundancy levels based on real-time network conditions, optimizing bandwidth utilization without compromising quality. The proposed framework is evaluated across full reference objective video quality metrics, demonstrating significant improvements in the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and PSNR611 of the recovered videos. Experiments are carried out on multiple test video sequences with different video resolutions having various characteristics, i.e., colors, motions, and structures, and confirm that the FEC-based solution effectively detects and corrects packet loss and transmission errors without the need for retransmission, reducing the impact of channel noise and accidental disruptions on visual quality in challenging network environments. This study contributes to the development of resilient video transmission systems with reduced computational complexity of the codec and provides insights into the role of FEC in addressing quality degradation in modern multimedia applications where low latency is crucial.