Video player, video playback method, and program

A video playback method executed by a computer, the method comprising:

• predicting a future throughput for a future first time interval by using a past throughput value, the future first time interval including m future unit time intervals;
• configuring a search space for identifying a quality adaptation schedule, the search space being defined by k quality values, and a second time interval including a current unit time interval, the m future unit time intervals, and n past unit time intervals;
• extracting a plurality of paths in the search space, each path of the plurality of paths being obtained by selecting one quality level from the k quality levels for each unit time interval included in the second time interval;
• estimating, based on the future throughput, a quality of experience value for each path of the extracted plurality of paths;
• identifying a path corresponding to a highest quality of experience value from among the estimated quality of experience values, as the quality adaptation schedule;
• determining, based on the quality adaptation schedule, a quality value of a chunk to be requested for the future unit time interval subsequent to the current unit time interval;
• requesting the chunk with the determined quality value;
• and
• receiving the chunk with the determined quality value.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a video playback program, wherein, when the video playback program is executed by a computer, the program causes the computer to execute the following steps:

• predicting a future throughput for a future first time interval by using a past throughput value, the future first time interval including m future unit time intervals;
• configuring a search space for identifying a quality adaptation schedule, the search space being defined by k quality values, and a second time interval including a current unit time interval, the m future unit time intervals, and n past unit time intervals,
• extracting a plurality of paths in the search space, each path of the plurality of paths being obtained by selecting one quality level from the k quality levels for each unit time interval included in the second time interval;
• estimating, based on the future throughput, a quality of experience value for each path of the extracted plurality of paths;
• identifying a path corresponding to a highest quality of experience value from among the estimated quality of experience values, as the quality adaptation schedule;
• determining, based on the quality adaptation schedule, a quality value of a chunk to be requested for the future unit time interval subsequent to the current unit time interval;
• requesting the chunk with the determined quality value;
• and
• receiving the chunk with the determined quality value.