The creation, distribution and delivery of video content is a sophisticated process with elements like video acquisition, preprocessing and encoding, content production and packaging as well as distribution to customers. IP networks are usually used for the transfer of video signals. The treatment of video content is also very complex, and we have a multidimensional process with elements like content acquisition, content exchange and content distribution. The focus of the chapter is on the presentation of models that can be used to characterize the main elements in a video distribution chain. These models are about video coding and compression, video streaming, video traffic models, energy consumption models, system performance, concepts of performance optimization and QoE- and energy-optimal streaming.