Efficient video transmission—a critical review of various protocols and strategies

With the advent of 3D video technology and ultra-high-definition (UHD) displays, traditional video coding methods and network/transport protocols seem to fail. This necessitates optimizations at multiple levels and layers: codec-level, system-level, and different layers in the TCP/IP suite. We critically analyze various protocols at different layers in the TCP/IP suite and compare them for various applications. Moreover, the importance of devising intelligent behavior-based strategies at the server side is highlighted. Furthermore, roles and advantages of cross-layer optimization in video transmission are given. The importance of datagram congestion control protocol (DCCP) in an efficient video transmission in the coming years is unfolded. We demonstrate the importance of devising good strategies at the server side in saving the bandwidth. To the best of the knowledge of the authors, this is the first paper that elaborates on DCCP and its significance for the future. In this article, besides analyzing various protocols and discussing optimizations, etc., the value-added suggestions on how to make improvements at various levels are presented. Thus, this work is a one-stop source of information for researchers working on this topic.