ICL merges interactive TV with the Internet

ICL's Parallel Interactive Media Server has been enhanced to provide World
Wide Web access to users on the Cambridge Interactive TV Trial.

ICL has integrated Web server capability with the PimSERVER such that the
Trial end users can browse Web pages in the normal manner. With the new
facility, when the user selects a "video URL", the PimSERVER immediately
switches into video streaming mode and delivers full screen, full motion
MPEG video and so giving a significant quality advantage over AVI or
Quicktime files.

The end users in Cambridge connect into the system via their Online Media
Set-top boxes (STBs) which have a Web browser down-loaded into them from
the PimSERVER. Connection between the STBs and the PimSERVER uses
Asynchronous Transfer Mode over Cambridge Cable's 155 Mbps fibre network
with ATM switches provided by SJ Research and ATM Ltd.

All multimedia data held in the PimSERVER is delivered to the STBs at
2Mbps. This means that Web pages can be viewed at about 100 times the
speed of a fast modem link! This is particularly useful if a Web page
contains graphic images which are notoriously slow to appear under normal
access to the Web.

User access to the World Wide Web is also enabled via the PimSERVER's
Management Element. This acts as the firewall and the proxy server acting
on behalf of the users to access external Web sites.

Cacheing of recently accessed Web pages in the PimSERVER gives very fast
access to popular external pages.

A Web browser based subscriber management system on the PimSERVER will
authenticate users, produce validated user information (for use in billing
systems) and give personalised user access (e.g. restricted access for
children).

The Internet is even used to gain access to the PimSERVER in order to
remotely manage it. A link from ICL's High Performance Systems in
Manchester allows tele-diagnosis of problems. The technician's in
Manchester are able to monitor the Cambridge PimSERVER's status, view log
files and correct any errors from their own desks. The firewalls at both
ends ensure secure access.

Whilst the Trial users currently all have set-top boxes, the Trial
Consortium are considering the introduction of Oracle's Network Computer
later in the year as a further expansion of the Trial using narrowband.
The NC will give inexpensive dial-up access to the WWW via the PimSERVER
without the video capability.

The integration of real time MPEG video with the Web is a significant
achievement for ICL. The PimSERVER's parallel architecture is particularly
appropriate enabling scalable, high performance solutions for broadband
networks to be built now.
 
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