01 — Requirements
“Design an adaptive video streaming player that adjusts quality based on network conditions.”
02 — API & Data Model
Define the manifest format, segment delivery, and analytics endpoints.
03 — Architecture
Map the streaming pipeline: manifest parser ABR controller buffer manager segment fetcher CDN.
04 — Video Manifest
Parse HLS/DASH manifests to discover available quality levels, codecs, and segment URLs.
05 — Buffer Manager
Track loaded segments, monitor buffer health, and detect underrun conditions.
06 — Bandwidth Estimator
Measure download throughput with EWMA to smooth noisy network samples.
07 — ABR Algorithm
Select quality levels using throughput-based, buffer-based, or hybrid strategies.
08 — Segment Fetcher
Download segments with progress tracking, retry logic, and abort-on-switch.
09 — Quality Switching
Handle mid-stream quality transitions without visual artifacts or buffer gaps.
10 — Buffer Underrun Protection
Detect critically low buffer and trigger emergency quality drops to prevent stalls.
11 — Startup Optimization
Minimize time-to-first-frame with fast-start at low quality, then progressive ramp-up.
12 — Seek Handling
Flush and refill the buffer when the user seeks to a new position.
13 — Live Streaming
Support live edge tracking with sliding window buffers and latency constraints.
14 — Bandwidth Prediction
Forecast future bandwidth using historical samples and statistical methods.
15 — Full Player Integration
Compare ABR-on vs ABR-off under the same network conditions to see the dramatic difference.