27/11/2003 Video on Demand /3B Group 10 Au Chok Wai (1) Chan Chi Cheong (2) Lam Shing Chi (13) Wong Lai Ting (33) Wong Mei King (34)

27/11/2003Video on Demand2 Presentation Content What the application does? How the system works? Actual Examples Direction for future development Limitations Video-on-Demand in Hong Kong iTV now Broadband TV

27/11/2003Video on Demand3 What the application does? User can start the video when he wants:-- In anywhere, at anytime A big consumer of resources for the server and the network. The idea is to do HTTP streaming, i.e. stream an MPEG video encapsulated in HTTP. The regulation of the bitrate between the client and the server is done automatically by TCP. With HTTP version 1.1, there is the possibility to seek in a file downloaded, that's what we use to seek in the video.

27/11/2003Video on Demand4 How does the system work?

27/11/2003Video on Demand5 How does the system work? (con’t) 1. Movies are stored on a video server and delivered digitally to the home via telephone wire or other varieties of cable networks. 2. A set top box allows subscribers to access the movies they want and to control all playing functions - stop, pause, rewind, fast forward- using a remote control - just like on a VCR. 3. The picture is equivalent to DVD quality, and the number of movies which can be stored on a server is limited only by Hard Disk real estate.

27/11/2003Video on Demand6 Actual examples (server side) Running Web server. E.g. Linux server running Apache. Make MPEG-1, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 / DivX files available to the clients on the Web server. E.g. we have a Web server whose DNS name is localserver. On this server, we put an MPEG file video1.mpg which will be available to the clients at the URL

27/11/2003Video on Demand7 Actual examples (client side) VLC starts to read the stream nearly immediately and you can seek in the stream, make pauses, etc... as if the stream was a local file.

27/11/2003Video on Demand8 Actual examples of HKTC The Conveyance Facilities for HKTC’s VOD Trial

27/11/2003Video on Demand9 Actual examples of HKTC (con’t) Each customer are provided a downstream data output T1 speed for television signals and a X.25 data communication link for control signals For a service provider who wishes to carry out a VOD trial over the HKTC network, HKTC offers to provide a T1 circuit and a X.25 packet-switched data communication link between the customers' premises and the nearest local exchange.

27/11/2003Video on Demand10 Limitations The lack of a network infrastructure that can handle the large amounts of data required by video. The technology may not afford too much client access at the same time The speed may not always stable all the time

27/11/2003Video on Demand11 Direction for future development ultimate consumer video application and is increasingly A service that allows subscribers to watch what they want, when they want some form of VOD is now available through approximately 40% of all US cable TV systems. Currently almost four million cable TV subscribers are regularly using the service to watch movies, packaged premium programming, and even "free" shows and events. brings the world of Video-On-Demand together at the internet's first VOD portal, offering industry professionals and consumers alike a place to view the latest breaking news, streaming stock market data and discuss VOD manufacturers, MSO's, hardware, software and programming.

27/11/2003Video on Demand12 Video-on-Demand in Hong Kong 1. Hong Kong Telecom IMS (Interactive Multimedia Services Limited) 2. now Broadband TV (PCCW)

27/11/2003Video on Demand13 I. Hong Kong Telecom IMS is the first such project in the world to launch the services full-scale In October 1997, Hong Kong Telecom IMS starts to provide VoD service and makes Hong Kong the first site of launching a commercially available VoD service.

27/11/2003Video on Demand14 The licence will take effect from 13 February 1998 for a period of 12 years. The services included are Video on Demand (VOD), Music on Demand (MOD), Home Shopping, and Racing on Demand (ROD) I. Hong Kong Telecom IMS (con’t)

27/11/2003Video on Demand15 I. Hong Kong Telecom IMS (con’t) Technology of iTV The system is full ATM (Asynchronous Transport Multiplexing) based and operates from the server to the STB via an ATM switched network including Broadband Access Systems. Server is developed by both C++ and Java in development Home customers will use a thin Java-implemented client on which an OrbixWeb CORBA client runs The iTV service runs on about 300 servers, including NEC Unix servers for storing video and Sun Microsystems Unix servers to support the navigation information and some other content

27/11/2003Video on Demand16 II. now Broadband TV (PCCW) What is now Broadband TV? a new family entertainment providing 24-hour, high quality and world-class entertainment TV channels such as: Soundtrack Channel, Discovery Showcase, etc.

27/11/2003Video on Demand17 II. now Broadband TV (con’t) What are the key features of this new service? 1. True customer choice - can freely choose which channels to subscribe 2. Quality family entertainment with exclusive world class contents 3. Pay by channel - offering customers with choice and flexibility in channel selection 4. Low entry barrier - free decoder & free installation 5. Synergy with high quality of PCCW service

27/11/2003Video on Demand18 II. now Broadband TV (con’t) Technology of now Broadband TV It leverages on the NETVIGATOR Broadband network multi-casting technology to deliver high TV quality to the audience.

27/11/2003Video on Demand19 II. now broadband TV (con’t) What is the difference between now Broadband TV & iTV? now Broadband TViTV 7 x 24 broadcasting channels DVD picture quality on TV Various content Pricing by individual channel Video-on-demand Low picture quality Mainly movies With monthly fee & pay per view

27/11/2003Video on Demand20 Reference URLs Quickstart/index.html Quickstart/index.html

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