This study presents the first global analysis of on-demand video streaming over Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, using data from over one million households across 85 countries. We highlight Starlink's role as a major LEO provider, enhancing connectivity in underserved regions. Our findings reveal that while overall video quality on Starlink matches that of traditional networks, the inherent variability in LEO conditions -- such as throughput fluctuations and packet loss -- leads to an increase in bitrate switches and rebuffers. To further improve the quality of experience for the LEO community, we manipulate existing congestion control and adaptive bitrate streaming algorithms using simulation and real A/B tests deployed on over one million households. Our results underscore the need for video streaming and congestion control algorithms to adapt to rapidly evolving network landscapes, ensuring high-quality service across diverse and dynamic network types.

翻译：本研究首次对低地球轨道卫星网络中的点播视频流媒体进行了全球性分析，数据涵盖85个国家超过一百万户家庭。我们重点探讨了星链作为主要低地球轨道服务提供商在提升欠发达地区网络连接方面的作用。研究发现，尽管星链的整体视频质量与传统网络相当，但低地球轨道网络固有的条件波动——如吞吐量起伏与数据包丢失——会导致比特率切换与重新缓冲次数增加。为提升低地球轨道用户的体验质量，我们通过仿真实验及在超百万家庭中部署的真实A/B测试，对现有拥塞控制与自适应比特率流媒体算法进行了优化。研究结果强调，视频流媒体与拥塞控制算法亟需适应快速演变的网络环境，以确保在不同类型动态网络中均能提供高质量服务。