Re: Proposal: Media streams, media stream tracks and channels

On 11/08/2011 01:15 AM, Harald Alvestrand wrote:
> Discharging a task taken on at the TPAC meeting, some possible words on what a media stream, a media stream track or a channel is....
>
> This is based on the introduction section in section 3.1 of the current API editors' draft.
>
> The|MediaStream <http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/webrtc.html#mediastream>|interface is used to represent streams of media data, typically (but not necessarily) of audio and/or video content, e.g. from a local camera or a remote site. The data from a|MediaStream <http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/webrtc.html#mediastream>|object does not necessarily have a canonical binary form; for example, it could just be "the video currently coming from the user's video camera". This allows user agents to manipulate media streams in whatever fashion is most suitable on the user's platform.
>
> Each|MediaStream <http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/webrtc.html#mediastream>|object can represent zero or more tracks, in particular audio and video tracks. Tracks can contain multiple channels of parallel data; for example a single audio track could have nine channels of audio data to represent a 7.2 surround sound audio track.
>
> <new text below>
>
> All tracks in a MediaStream are presumed to be synchronized at some level. Different MediaStreams may or may not be synchronized.
>
> Each track represented by a|MediaStream <http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/webrtc.html#mediastream>|object has a corresponding|MediaStreamTrack <http://dev.w3.org/2011/webrtc/editor/webrtc.html#mediastreamtrack>|object.
>
> A MediaStreamTrack represents content comprising one or more channels, where the channels have a defined well known relationship to each other (such as a stereo or 5.1 audio signal), and may be encoded together for transmission as, for instance, an RTP payload type.

To ensure I get things right...

With this definition left and right channels of a stereo audio signal can be equally represented as:
1) two channels within a MediaStreamTrack.
2) two MediaStreamTrack objects.

The first case is the most likely representation given the well-known relationship between both channels in a stereo audio signal. The two channels may or may not be encoded together for transmission.

The second case is not the most likely representation but is still possible. In this case, can the two MediaStreamTrack objects still be encoded together for transmission? I would assume that it is not possible. Would it make sense to clarify that a MediaStreamTrack object is always encoded on its own for transmission (or is it self-evident)?

Francois.


>
> A channel is the smallest unit considered in this API specification.
>
> <end new text>
>
> Would including this text help add any clarity after our discussions at TPAC?
>
> Query: What other examples of embedded channels would be useful to add? Are there good examples of audio or non-audio data embedded in video tracks?
>
> Harald
>
>
>

Received on Thursday, 10 November 2011 14:31:16 UTC