IP datacasting is a technology used in digital video broadcasting (DVB) and digital audio broadcasting (DAB) networks to deliver IP-based audio, video, data, graphics and other broadband information. The signals may be received either directly to the recipient's home, work or mobile devices like mobile phones and personal digital assistants. IP datacasting provides a multitude of potential services including entertainment, information, business services. IPDC, data services has simultaneously broadcast capabilities ("point-to-multipoint") that extends across a widespread population. Transmissions are unidirectional, but another access network can be used as a return (or interaction) channel.<p> Internet protocol datacasting provides numerous benefits to the datacasting process including minimal cost per client receiver due to large volume production and point-to-multipoint capacity, an easy and cost effective Mux with other transport streams, and depending on the service, quality and IP level encryption capability.<p> Internet protocol datacasting is a 'push technology' therefore instead of searching the Web for information on a particular topic, which can be time-consuming and frustrating a set of technologies collectively referred to as "push" technology may help by delivering or pushing information directly to your computer or mobile devices. The process IP datacasting involves transferring the audio, visual and data sources to the IP encapsulator and data insertion. This in turn is multi-casted to servers. IP datacasting employs ethernet, a network technology to access reliable and efficient information. the terrestrial DVB-T network can be optimized for mobile reception, by choosing a suitable set of transmission parameters. IP datacasting and mobile DVB-T produce interesting opportunities for providing IP-based mobile broadband services with other mobile access technologies. For example it has the capacity to provide Web-based teletext services, which would provide a magazine of about 500 Web pages. The addition of hard disk storage to the receiver would enable a library of about 700,000 Web pages in storage. Another application involves a media player to view video clips of news or sports.<p> In addition to delivering a new form of multimedia enjoyment to consumers, IP Datacasting opens up significant new market opportunities for the telecommunications, broadcasting, and media sectors. The IP Datacasting technology may potentially increase the adoption of mobile TV. A technology with the inbuilt ability to charge for multimedia content and services.<p>
1. Image Technics Inc. (2004) Solutions: IP Datacasting [on-line] Available at: http://www.imagetechnics.com/ipdatacastingp.htm Accessed: October 16, 2004.<p> 2. Guenther, K. (2000) Darwin: what is push technology? [on-line] Available at: http://www.darwinmag.com/learn/curve/column.html?ArticleID=43 Accessed: October 16, 2004.<p>
Amy Harbrow 21:09, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)