A method for streaming video data, comprising: identifying, based on image content of one or more video images, a plurality of scenes (110-1 to 110-8) in the one or more video images; wherein the plurality of scenes (110-1 to 110-8) comprises at least one scene of high interest (110-2, 110-4, 110-5) and at least one scene of low interest (110-1, 110-3, 110-6, 110-7); tracking a viewer's viewport (108-1, 108-2) of the one or more video images; determining a plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 102-13) of the one or more video images based on the plurality of scenes (110-1 to 110-8) in the one or more video images and based on the viewer's viewport (108-1, 108-2); wherein the plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 120-13) comprises a first regional cross section (102-4, 102-13) 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 (102-6, 102-7) corresponding to a scene of low interest outside the viewer's viewport (110-6, 110-7); applying a blurring filter with variable spatial resolutions to image data in a scene that encompasses a viewer's foveal vision, wherein no or little blurring is performed in a scene portion that encompasses the viewer's foveal vision, wherein stronger blurring is performed in the scene portion outside the viewer's foveal vision, and wherein the strength of the blurring is based at least in part on a spatial distance between a spatial location and the center of the viewer's foveal vision; encoding a plurality of image portions of the one or more video images in the plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 102-13) 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 (102-6, 102-7); 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 (110-1 to 110-8) in the one or more video images; wherein the plurality of scenes (110-1 to 110-8) comprises at least one scene of high interest (110-2, 110-4, 110-5) and at least one scene of low interest (110-1, 110-3, 110-6, 110-7); tracking a viewer's viewport (108-1, 108-2) of the one or more video images; determining a plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 102-13) of the one or more video images based on the plurality of scenes (110-1 to 110-8) in the one or more video images and based on the viewer's viewport (108-1, 108-2); wherein the plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 120-13) comprises a first regional cross section (102-4, 102-13) 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 (102-6, 102-7) corresponding to a scene of low interest outside the viewer's viewport (110-6, 110-7); applying a blurring filter with variable spatial resolutions to image data in a scene that encompasses a viewer's foveal vision, wherein no or little blurring is performed in a scene portion that encompasses the viewer's foveal vision, wherein stronger blurring is performed in the scene portion outside the viewer's foveal vision, and wherein the strength of the blurring is based at least in part on a spatial distance between a spatial location and the center of the viewer's foveal vision; encoding a plurality of image portions of the one or more video images in the plurality of regional cross sections (102-1 to 102-13) 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 (102-6, 102-7); 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.