A method for streaming video data, comprising: identifying, based on image content of one or more video images, a plurality of scenes in the one or more video images; wherein the plurality of scenes comprises at least one scene of high interest and at least one scene of low interest, wherein the at least one scene of high interest and the at least one scene of low interest are identified based on image content analysis of the entire area of the one or more video images, the image content analysis including identifying visual objects and visual elements in the one or more video images and assessing said visual objects and visual elements with user interest levels; tracking a viewer's viewport of the one or more video images; determining a plurality of regional cross sections of the one or more video images based on the plurality of scenes in the one or more video images and based on the viewer's viewport; wherein the plurality of regional cross sections comprises a first regional cross section corresponding to a scene of high interest within the viewer's viewport, a second regional cross section corresponding to a scene of high interest outside the viewer's viewport, and a third regional cross section corresponding to a scene of low interest outside the viewer's viewport; encoding a plurality of image portions of the one or more video images in the plurality of regional cross sections into two or more video sub-streams at two or more different spatiotemporal resolutions; wherein the two or more video sub-streams comprise a first video sub-stream with a first spatiotemporal resolution for the first regional cross section, a second video sub-stream with a second spatiotemporal resolution for the second regional cross section, and a third video sub-stream with a third spatiotemporal resolution for the third regional cross section; wherein the third spatiotemporal resolution is lower than the second spatiotemporal resolution; and wherein the second spatiotemporal resolution is lower than the first spatiotemporal resolution; transmitting, to a streaming client device, an overall video stream that includes the two or more video sub-streams; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. identifying, based on image content of one or more video images, a plurality of scenes in the one or more video images; wherein the plurality of scenes comprises at least one scene of high interest and at least one scene of low interest, wherein the at least one scene of high interest and the at least one scene of low interest are identified based on image content analysis of the entire area of the one or more video images, the image content analysis including identifying visual objects and visual elements in the one or more video images and assessing said visual objects and visual elements with user interest levels; tracking a viewer's viewport of the one or more video images; determining a plurality of regional cross sections of the one or more video images based on the plurality of scenes in the one or more video images and based on the viewer's viewport; wherein the plurality of regional cross sections comprises a first regional cross section corresponding to a scene of high interest within the viewer's viewport, a second regional cross section corresponding to a scene of high interest outside the viewer's viewport, and a third regional cross section corresponding to a scene of low interest outside the viewer's viewport; encoding a plurality of image portions of the one or more video images in the plurality of regional cross sections into two or more video sub-streams at two or more different spatiotemporal resolutions; wherein the two or more video sub-streams comprise a first video sub-stream with a first spatiotemporal resolution for the first regional cross section, a second video sub-stream with a second spatiotemporal resolution for the second regional cross section, and a third video sub-stream with a third spatiotemporal resolution for the third regional cross section; wherein the third spatiotemporal resolution is lower than the second spatiotemporal resolution; and wherein the second spatiotemporal resolution is lower than the first spatiotemporal resolution; transmitting, to a streaming client device, an overall video stream that includes the two or more video sub-streams; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.