Methods and systems for scalable video delivery

A method for receiving media content from a server by a client, the method comprising:

• receiving a client index, the client index comprising a plurality of client index entries, each client index entry corresponding to only one of a plurality of media data groups, each of the media data groups corresponding to only one layer of a plurality of layers for a specific time period of a scalable media presentation, each of the plurality of layers being represented by a plurality of network abstraction layer (NAL) units associated with the layer, wherein each client index entry comprises a media data group identifier for identifying the corresponding media data group, a quality identifier for identifying a quality level of the corresponding media data group and a layer identifier for identifying the layer associated with the corresponding media data group;
• determining a desired quality level for the specific time period of the scalable media presentation, based at least on an available bandwidth metric;
• based on the client index, determining a subset of the plurality of layers required to reproduce the scalable media presentation at the desired quality level;
• generating at least one media request corresponding to the subset of the plurality of layers, each of the at least one media request comprising a scalable media presentation identifier for identifying the scalable media presentation, a requested quality identifier and a requested layer identifier;
• and
• transmitting the at least one media request to the server.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform a method comprising:

• providing a plurality of network abstraction layer (NAL) units representing a scalable media presentation, each NAL unit being associated with one layer of a plurality of layers;
• grouping the plurality of NAL units into a plurality of media data groups, each media data group corresponding to only one layer of the plurality of layers for a specific time period of the scalable media presentation;
• providing a server index comprising a plurality of server index entries, each server index entry corresponding to only one of the plurality of media data groups and comprising a media data group identifier for identifying the corresponding media data group, a quality identifier for identifying a quality level of the corresponding media data group and a layer identifier for identifying the layer associated with the corresponding media data group;
• receiving at least one media request from a client, the at least one media request comprising a scalable media presentation identifier for identifying the scalable media presentation, a requested quality identifier and a requested layer identifier;
• and
• for each at least one media request:
• determining a requested index entry in the plurality of server index entries based on the scalable media presentation identifier, the requested quality identifier and the requested layer identifier;
• identifying a requested media data group based on the media data group identifier of the requested index entry;
• and
• transmitting the requested media data group.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a client index, the client index comprising a plurality of client index entries, each client index entry corresponding to only one of a plurality of media data groups, each of the media data groups corresponding to only one layer of a plurality of layers for a specific time period of a scalable media presentation, each of the plurality of layers being represented by a plurality of network abstraction layer (NAL) units associated with the layer, wherein each client index entry comprises a media data group identifier for identifying the corresponding media data group, a quality identifier for identifying a quality level of the corresponding media data group and a layer identifier for identifying the layer associated with the corresponding media data group;
• determining a desired quality level for the specific time period of the scalable media presentation, based at least on an available bandwidth metric;
• based on the client index, determining a subset of the plurality of layers required to reproduce the scalable media presentation at the desired quality level;
• generating at least one media request corresponding to the subset of the plurality of layers, each of the at least one media request comprising a scalable media presentation identifier for identifying the scalable media presentation, a requested quality identifier and a requested layer identifier;
• and
• transmitting the at least one media request to a server.