MeReVeS

With the high expansion of video services (VOD, webTV, video sharing & live streaming), video has become omnipresent. High-speed networks and progress in microelectronic technology enable us to capture, broadcast, and display digital video anytime from anywhere. Nowadays, the viewing of online videos has a significant influence on global greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions with a share of 1% in 2017, according to The Shift Project. Hence, solutions must be developed to reduce the video ecosystem’s environmental impact. We focus on two approaches: based on digital sobriety, the first lever aims to reduce the number of transmitted videos by changing the user behavior and the operating rules of video services. The second lever is to provide technological solutions that are more efficient in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. For both levers, a model is needed to assess the environmental impact of the entire video delivery chain (end-to-end: data center, core and access network, media terminal), so that decisions can be made that have a real influence on reducing the video ecosystem’s environmental impact. This project aims to develop an environmental impact model of the global video delivery chain, integrating a life cycle assessment of the different chain elements. This means that the emissions produced during the fabrication and during the use of video equipments will be investigated in detail. Concerning the fabrication, we will make use of available LCA datasets from the literature to assess the fabrication impact of versatile video displaying devices such as TV sets, laptops, and smartphones. With respect to the use of video hardware, we will use existing power consumption models and perform, if not available, representative power measurements. The joint emission model will then assess the effectiveness of different scenarios acting on the two levers mentioned above, drawing on multidisciplinary skills in information, communication, human, and social sciences.