A Hierarchical Control Protocol for Group-Oriented Playbacks Supported by Content Distribution Networks

Content distribution networks have recently been introduced as a more efficient alternative to centralized servers for the delivery of static content as well as media streaming services ranging from TV broadcasts to video on-demand. Content distribution networks can also efficiently provide collaborative playback service which allows a synchronous group of users to select simultaneously watch altogether and share the control of a multimedia session. This paper presents the definition and analysis of the Hierarchical COoperative COntrol Protocol (HCOCOP), which allows a synchronous group of users to share the control of the media streaming session provided by a content distribution network.