Intelligent IPTV retransmission request

An IPTV system with a video distribution server (DS) adapted to transmit video packets to a client (CL) via a network. The client comprises a packet reception controller (PRC) for detecting problems with video packets received from the video distribution server and adapted to request retransmission of a video packet associated to the problem, whilst the video distribution server comprises a packet transmission controller (PTC) for keeping the video packets transmitted to the client and adapted to retransmit a video packet upon request of the client. The packet transmission controller is further adapted to associate to each video packet at least one parameter indicative of the relative importance of this current video packet or/and of the next video packet in the transmission sequence, whilst the packet reception controller is further adapted to request the retransmission of the current video packet, of the next video packet or of both video packets based on this parameter. The main idea is to carry in each packet not only the type or importance of the current packet, but also that of the next packet (or alternatively only that of the next packet). Upon missing a packet or upon reception of a damaged packet, the client can then decide to request retransmission or not based on the knowledge of the importance of the missed or damaged packet that can be learned by looking at the parameter.