Abstract: A media server system and method for reducing the probability of data starvation or underflow in a media server system. The media server system preferably comprises a video server computer system which stores a plurality of encoded data streams, wherein the computer system is coupled through a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) bus to one or more MPEG decoder blocks. The media server system thus utilizes a single control channel for multiple video channels. The present invention operates to fill the FIFO buffer of a channel to a higher level during startup, thus reducing the probability of data underflow. In one embodiment, the host computer or server begins data transmission prior to sending the “play” function or play command in order to pre-fill or pre-load the buffer. In another embodiment where the host server is not configured to pre-load the buffer prior to issuing the play command, the MPEG decoder block disables the FIFO buffer when the play command is received.

Abstract: A media server system and method for reducing the probability of data starvation or underflow in a media server system. The media server system preferably comprises a video server computer system which stores a plurality of encoded data streams, wherein the computer system is coupled through a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) bus to one or more MPEG decoder blocks. The media server system thus utilizes a single control channel for multiple video channels. The present invention operates to fill the FIFO buffer of a channel to a higher level during startup, thus reducing the probability of data underflow. In one embodiment, the host computer or server begins data transmission prior to sending the "play" function or play command in order to pre-fill or pre-load the buffer. In another embodiment where the host server is not configured to pre-load the buffer prior to issuing the play command, the MPEG decoder block disables the FIFO buffer when the play command is received.

Abstract: A media server system including a media server coupled through a SCSI bus to one or more MPEG decoder boxes. Each of the MPEG decoder boxes includes a plurality of data channels and is adapted to receive encoded MPEG data from the computer system. The computer system generates data transfers to the respective MPEG decoder boxes for transfer on the selected channels. The computer system is configurable according to various file storage formats, including file systems which prepend a header comprising channel information to the video data, and file systems which do not prepend a header comprising channel information to the video data. According to the present invention, the computer system assigns a first SCSI logical unit number, preferably LUN 0, to a SCSI bus data transfer if the data being transferred includes a header comprising channel information.