Network bandwidth is a major factor impacting the cost of a multimedia service.
The high demand for network bandwidth is primarily caused by the need to synchronously deliver compressed video frames over the network. In this talk, we present a framework for the transport of multimedia streams based on time-varying traffic envelopes. This framework exploits the inherent periodicity of video and audio for efficient allocation of network bandwidth under stringent QoS guarantees. Stream scheduling, bandwidth allocation, and call admission control within the proposed framework are examined for the case of MPEG-coded video, with extensions to support user interactivity. A complete paper copy of the speaker's slides accompanies the tape.