| The global telecommunications system has evolved into a ubiquitous, integrated network capable of delivering video teleconferencing, videotelephony, high definition television (HDTV), multiple viewpoint video, video on demand (VoD), distance learning and telemedical applications. The reliable delivery of these services requires the use of flexible protocols that consider human perceptual issues. Legacy protocols are based on traditional network design objectives such as bit-error-rate (BER), cell loss rates, and peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR).;This thesis proposes an adaptive FEC protocol that supports the reliable delivery of compressed video streams. The design philosophy employed in this study represents a shift from the use of traditional network-centric design requirements to a more comprehensive approach that utilizes both traditional and perceptual quality metrics. The methodology includes a linguistic framework that facilitates the articulation of user perceptual quality requirements using a fuzzy inference model.;The resulting system employs a flexible, adaptive turbo-based coding scheme that is both quality-of-service (QoS) and quality-of-perception (QoP) configurable. PerFEC, the Perceptually-Sensitive Forward Error Control system, provides the system engineer with the ability to maximize throughput, improve reliability, minimize energy and bandwidth consumption while reducing system complexity. |
