Performance analysis of n-channel symmetric FEC-based multiple description coding for OFDM networks

Recently, multiple description source coding has emerged as an attractive framework for robust multimedia transmission over packet erasure channels. In this paper, we mathematically analyze the performance of n-channel symmetric FEC-based multiple description coding for a progressive mode of transmission over orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) networks in a frequency-selective slowly-varying Rayleigh faded environment. We derive the expressions for the bounds of the throughput and distortion performance of the system in an explicit closed form, whereas the exact performance is given by an expression in the form of a single integration. Based on this analysis, the performance of the system can be numerically evaluated. Our results show that at high SNR, the multiple description encoder does not need to fine-tune the optimization parameters of the system due to the correlated nature of the subcarriers. It is also shown that, despite the bursty nature of the errors in a slow fading environment, FEC-based multiple description coding without temporal coding provides a greater advantage for smaller description sizes.