Power efficient multimedia content streaming based on media segment duration

Abstract

Techniques for influencing power consumption of a client while streaming multimedia content from a server over a network are described. The power consumption is influenced by controlling how many requests are used by the client to receive media segments of the multimedia content from the server. For example, the number of requests is reduced by increasing the durations of the available media segments. Thus, rather than requesting a certain number of media segments each of a particular duration, a lower number of media segments is requested where the requested media segments have longer durations. Although a longer duration generally results in a larger power saving, the length of a requested media segment is balanced against other parameters associated with current conditions of the client, server, and/or network to allow for, for example, adaptive streaming. As such an optimum duration is determined based on different parameters associated with the current conditions.