Excess bitrate distribution based on quality gain in sabr server

A method for providing video content comprising:

• providing a HyperText Transfer Protocol-based live streaming client model (“HCM′), determining a bandwidth to allocate to a plurality of media devices using the HCM that is made up of a state-based HCM that is constructed for each of the plurality of media devices;
• determining bandwidth constraints associated with each of said plurality of media devices;
• determining a number of active media devices associated with the plurality of media devices to allocate the determined bandwidth;
• for each respective one of the plurality of active media devices, determining a need parameter vector (“NPV”) and assigning a fraction of the bandwidth to each respective active media device in the plurality of media devices based, at least in part, on:
• (i) said bandwidth constraints associated with each respective active media device;
• (ii) measured rates at which video luma Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) changes as a function of video bitrate for content delivered to each respective active media device;
• and (iii) the NPV varied by a scalar quality value for each respective active media device using the HCM construct for each active media device.