Subject: Sessions on the IMJ

From: [email-masked] (Kevin C. Almeroth)
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:58:31 -0400 (EDT)

This e-mail is going out to a number of lists, and I cringe to do
it, but it is relevant to all...

I'm ready to announce that many of the sessions from the Memphis IETF
that were MBoned are now available on the IMJ (http://imj.gatech.edu)
for on-demand playback...  AVT, MMUSIC, IDMR, MBONED, TCPSAT, and
the multicast WWW BOF.  You can schedule programs via the WWW page and
start the MBone sessions via SDR (or the WWW page with a simple plug-in).

Other encoded sessions are forthcoming, but the turmoil of graduation, 
moving, etc might delay others.  (If anyone has a real interest in seeing 
something else in the very near future, please send me e-mail.)  In the 
future, I hope to have the sessions available much more rapidly.

Updates:  and just for those interested...  the imj has changed machines, 
but imj.gatech.edu moved with it.  Also MBone routing on campus has been
slightly upgraded (Solaris plus 3.9) so hopefully we'll be able to
avoid the memory leaks of 4.1.3.  Also, the volume problem on all the
new stuff should be fixed (thanks to an audio mixer),  and there is a
new section for oldies-but-goodies.

Finally, and as usual, I've included the originial IMJ e-mail 
announcement for those who haven't seen it.

Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.

-Kevin

              Announcing the Interactive Multimedia Jukebox

   At one point on the MBone list there was a discussion of what on-demand
servers exist or are being developed.  Well, I'd like to announce our 
version called the Interactive Multimedia Jukebox (IMJ).

  The IMJ web page is a request and scheduling interface for the playout 
of content over the MBone.  CONTENT IS ENCODED SO THAT IT CAN BE RECEIVED
WITH THE LATEST VERSIONS OF VIC AND VAT (ANY PLATFORM).

   The IMJ page is located at http://imj.gatech.edu.  Information about 
the IMJ including general info, a postscript version of a paper about the 
IMJ, how-to-use information, and how it was implemented can be found at 
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/computing/Telecomm/IMJ/.

   Some quick additional information about the IMJ is included below:

IMJ Audio/Video
-----------------
   The IMJ uses the WWW to submit requests which are then scheduled
for playout on the MBone.  Right now we are offering three channels:
Channels 1 and 2 are being broadcast at a TTL of 127.  Channel 3 is
for internal testing and has a a TTL of 15.  Each channel provides 
DVI-2 audio and 128 Kbps H.261 video.  The encoding was done using 
Henning Schulzrinne's rtpplay and rtpdump.

Scheduling
----------
   Program scheduling uses a set of criteria to decide on which channel
to schedule a program.  The current set of criteria are listed just
below the interactive schedule.  We are exploring lots of different
options.

Content
-------
   We have been working on the jukebox paradigm with Turner Broadcasting,
and as a result of their interest they have agreed to let us broadcast
content on the MBone.  I am particularly excited about this aspect because
of their help and interest in investigating new applications on the Internet.

   The plan is to add a new set of content about every two weeks.  When this 
happens, the old content will be moved to the secondary request menu for two 
weeks.  The old-old stuff will be removed.  Hopefully I'll be able to 
advertise on the MBone list when the new stuff is available.

Development Platform
--------------------
   As is mentioned in the paper on the IMJ information page we are using
the IMJ as a platform for a variety of research issues including
providing interactivity, supporting multiple heterogeneous streams,
video server organization, tracking usage, program scheduling, and
pricing.

Acknowledgments
----------------
   In addition to Turner Broadcasting, several other groups have made the
IMJ possible.  The GT Broadband Telecommunications Center sponsored much 
of the research and some of the equipment, and GT Office of Information 
Technology offered technical assistance and additional equipment.

Please send me any feedback or suggestions.  Thanks.

-Kevin Almeroth