Paper: What Happens when HTTP Adaptive Streaming Players Compete for Bandwidth?

The College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Video & Content Platforms Research and Advance Development Division at Cisco have published a white paper on HTTP adaptive streaming. The paper focuses on the problem of competing video players and describes how the typical behavior of an adaptive streaming player in its Steady-State, which includes periods of activity followed by periods of
inactivity (ON-OFF periods), is the main root cause behind three performance problems: player instability, unfairness between players, and bandwidth underutilization.

I haven’t had the chance to read the paper yet and won’t be able to until after my streaming media shows are over, but others are welcome to comment on the paper in the comments section below. The authors have said they welcome any feedback or questions.