Parallel mpeg-2 decoding with high speed network: part II
Ju Wang, J.C.L. Liu · 2001
Real-time software decompression of MPEG-2 has become a challenge to today’s microprocessors and systems. Fortunately, the emerging high-speed network make it feasible for parallel MPEG2 software decoding. In this paper, we create a pipeline scheme for parallel decompression. With this scheme, video frames are decompressed as subtasks at Slave nodes in round-robin. The effects of block size (number of frames of each subtask) and number of slave nodes are investigated. With optimized values, we are able to deliver peak system performance (frame rate). From our performance model, we predict that network bandwidth imposes a physical limit of system capacity in term of scalability. Before reaching to the system saturation point, a close-linear speed-up can be observed as increases. With 100-Mbps network, animation quality (15-fps) is observed using low end (133Mhz) workstations. 30-fps real-time decompression frame rate can be approached using 100-Mbps Linux cluster (Pentium II 450Mhz). With 680-Mbps SMP environment, we observed 60-fps HDTV quality at 13 nodes.