Abstract: A broadcast system provides support for clients to receive transmissions over a unicast or a multicast channel from a broadcast server. A server administrator configures each of a first server and client systems connected to the server to receive data in one of a multicast or unicast transmission mode. An empirical test determines whether an intervening network can support the configured mode and if not, transmission is performed using a fall back mode. The first server is able to provide access to data streams from other servers to the client systems connected thereto. Upon requesting a data stream from another server, the first server receives the data stream, replicates the data stream, transmits the data stream to the requesting client system and stores the replicated data stream for immediate access by any requesting client server connected thereto.

Abstract: A system for providing interactive collaboration between a plurality of users. The system includes a profile respository for storing a priority level for each of said plurality of users and providing addresses for accessing each of said plurality of users. A media content server indexes audio and video data within the system. A data server stores the audio and video data at locations identified by indexing data located at the media content server. An acquisition processor provides audio and video data streams to requesting ones of the plurality of users. Audio and video data streams are located based on indexing data within the media content server and accessed according to a priority level for each requesting user. A communication processor controls bidirectional communication between requesting users according to the priority level for each requesting user.

Abstract: A system for providing interactive collaboration between a plurality of users. The system includes a profile respository for storing a priority level for each of said plurality of users and providing addresses for accessing each of said plurality of users. A media content server indexes audio and video data within the system. A data server stores the audio and video data at locations identified by indexing data located at the media content server. An acquisition processor provides audio and video data streams to requesting ones of the plurality of users. Audio and video data streams are located based on indexing data within the media content server and accessed according to a priority level for each requesting user. A communication processor controls bidirectional communication between requesting users according to the priority level for each requesting user.

Abstract: A broadcast system provides support for clients to receive transmissions over a unicast or a multicast channel from a broadcast server. A server administrator configures each of a first server and client systems connected to the server to receive data in one of a multicast or unicast transmission mode. An empirical test determines whether an intervening network can support the configured mode and if not, transmission is performed using a fall back mode. The first server is able to provide access to data streams from other servers to the client systems connected thereto. Upon requesting a data stream from another server, the first server receives the data stream, replicates the data stream, transmits the data stream to the requesting client system and stores the replicated data stream for immediate access by any requesting client server connected thereto.

Abstract: A system for providing interactive collaboration between a plurality of users. The system includes a profile respository for storing a priority level for each of said plurality of users and providing addresses for accessing each of said plurality of users. A media content server indexes audio and video data within the system. A data server stores the audio and video data at locations identified by indexing data located at the media content server. An acquisition processor provides audio and video data streams to requesting ones of the plurality of users. Audio and video data streams are located based on indexing data within the media content server and accessed according to a priority level for each requesting user. A communication processor controls bidirectional communication between requesting users according to the priority level for each requesting user.

Abstract: A broadcast system provides support for clients to receive transmissions over a unicast or a multicast channel from a broadcast server. A server administrator configures each of a first server and client systems connected to the server to receive data in one of a multicast or unicast transmission mode. An empirical test determines whether an intervening network can support the configured mode and if not, transmission is performed using a fall back mode. The first server is able to provide access to data streams from other servers to the client systems connected thereto. Upon requesting a data stream from another server, the first server receives the data stream, replicates the data stream, transmits the data stream to the requesting client system and stores the replicated data stream for immediate access by any requesting client server connected thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus bridges a plurality of domains and routes multicast datastreams between them. The apparatus includes a receiver which receives a client request signal via a multicast access protocol from a user connected within a first domain. A transmitter requests multicast content using a multicast transmission protocol from a provider within a second domain. A processor processes the multicast content received from the provider. The transmitter relays the multicast content from the second domain to the first domain for access by the user.

Abstract: A multicasting authorization system comprises a streaming server, an authorization server, a user system and a distribution server. The distribution server provides a multicast data stream over multicast channels. A user system requests and receives an authorization code from an authorization server to receive the multicast data stream, and provides the authorization code to a streaming server. A streaming server, coupled to both an authorization server and a user system sends start up information for accessing the multicast data stream to the user system upon validation of the authorization code. The multicast datastream is encrypted and the user system maintains a connection with the authorization server which provides a cryptographic key for use in decrypting the encrypted multicast datastream.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for ordering datagrams within an encoded datastream. The system includes a parser for separating headers from each respective datagram. A decoder decodes the separated headers to determine a frame group, a frame number within the frame group, a datagram number within the frame; and a total number of datagrams within the frame. An address generator determines a position for each datagram within the datastream and orders the datagrams within the datastream in response to decoding of the header to produce a video data stream.

Abstract: A system involves encoding a video data stream. The system includes a first determinator for determining attributes associated with the video data stream and an encoder for receiving the attributes from the first determinator and encoding a stream header identifying stream syntax. The stream header is encoded in a markup language. A multiplexer combines the encoded stream headers with the video data stream.

Abstract: An apparatus bridges a plurality of domains and routes multicast datastreams between them. The apparatus includes a receiver which receives a client request signal via a multicast access protocol from a user connected within a first domain. A transmitter requests multicast content using a multicast transmission protocol from a provider within a second domain. A processor processes the multicast content received from the provider. The transmitter relays the multicast content from the second domain to the first domain for access by the user.

Abstract: A system for providing interactive collaboration between a plurality of users. The system includes a profile respository for storing a priority level for each of said plurality of users and providing addresses for accessing each of said plurality of users. A media content server indexes audio and video data within the system. A data server stores the audio and video data at locations identified by indexing data located at the media content server. An acquisition processor provides audio and video data streams to requesting ones of the plurality of users. Audio and video data streams are located based on indexing data within the media content server and accessed according to a priority level for each requesting user. A communication processor controls bidirectional communication between requesting users according to the priority level for each requesting user.

Abstract: A system involves encoding a video data stream. The system includes a first determinator for determining attributes associated with the video data stream and an encoder for receiving the attributes from the first determinator and encoding a stream header identifying stream syntax. The stream header is encoded in a markup language. A multiplexer combines the encoded stream headers with the video data stream.

Abstract: A broadcast system provides support for clients to receive transmissions over a unicast or a multicast channel from a broadcast server. A server administrator configures each of a first server and client systems connected to the server to receive data in one of a multicast or unicast transmission mode. An empirical test determines whether an intervening network can support the configured mode and if not, transmission is performed using a fall back mode. The first server is able to provide access to data streams from other servers to the client systems connected thereto. Upon requesting a data stream from another server, the first server receives the data stream, replicates the data stream, transmits the data stream to the requesting client system and stores the replicated data stream for immediate access by any requesting client server connected thereto.

Abstract: A multicasting authorization system comprises a streaming server, an authorization server, a user system and a distribution server. The distribution server provides a multicast data stream over multicast channels. A user system requests and receives an authorization code from an authorization server to receive the multicast data stream, and provides the authorization code to a streaming server. A streaming server, coupled to both an authorization server and a user system sends start up information for accessing the multicast data stream to the user system upon validation of the authorization code. The multicast datastream is encrypted and the user system maintains a connection with the authorization server which provides a cryptographic key for use in decrypting the encrypted multicast datastream.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for ordering datagrams within an encoded datastream. The system includes a parser for separating headers from each respective datagram. A decoder decodes the separated headers to determine a frame group, a frame number within the frame group, a datagram number within the frame; and a total number of datagrams within the frame. An address generator determines a position for each datagram within the datastream and orders the datagrams within the datastream in response to decoding of the header to produce a video data stream.