Fifth International World Wide Web Conference

Panel3: Multicasting & Real-Time Applications and the Future of the Web

R. P. C. Rodgers (U.S. National Library of Medicine): Topic: Introduction to the panel, guidelines for participation; Participating from: Paris; rodgers@nlm.nih.gov
Jaromir Likavec (Computer Graphics Center, Darmstadt, Germany): Topic: Multicasting from the International World Wide Web Conferences, past and present; Participating from: Paris; likavec@igd.fhg.de

Don Brutzman (Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, U.S.A.): Topic: Multicasting with the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) Protocol to Create Large Scale Virtual Environments (LSVEs); Participating from: California; brutzman@cs.nps.navy.mil
Steve Casner (Precept Software, Palo Alto, California, U.S.A.): Topic: [to be announced]; Participating from: California; casner@precept.com
Jon Crowcroft (University College, London, U.K.): Topic: Real-time and near-real-time video applications; Participating from: Paris; j.crowcroft@cs.ucl.ac.uk
Walid Dabbous (INRIA, Sophia Antipolis, France): Topic: The INRIA experience with multicasting; Participating from: Paris; dabbous@sophia.inria.fr
Steve Deering (XEROX PARC, Palo Alto, California, U.S.A.): Topic: RTP and other key open standards pertinent to multicasting; Participating from: California; deering@parc.xerox.com
Jim Gemmell (Microsoft BARC, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.): Topic: MBONE for the Masses; Participating from: California; jgemmell@microsoft.com
Mark Handley (University College, London, U.K.): Topic: The MBONE and multicasting -- a quick technical overview for the novice; Participating from: Paris; m.handley@cs.ucl.ac.uk
Van Jacobson (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California, U.S.A.): Topic: What can multicasting offer the web? What can the Web offer multicasting?; Participating from: California; van@ee.lbl.gov

To demonstrate MBONE technology live, by integrating remote panelists and questioners actively into the presentation.
In consideration of the diverse audience and the fact that even technically well-versed attendees may not understand this area very deeply, each aspect of the presentation (written materials and live comments) will stress clarity for workers *outside* of this area: simple summaries and clear explanations will be put forward in as non-technical a manner as possible.
Discuss cutting-edge events in the domain of real-time applications and multicasting as they relate to the Web.

Broadcast, unicast, multicast; relation to IP address space, and how these are related to and affected by IPv6 and by ATM.
Major relevant communications protocols, comparison of technical strengths and weaknesses (IP, UDP, TCP, RTP, RMP, ...).
The important audio and video compression standards, comparison of technical strengths and weaknesses (H.261, MPEG, MJPEG, Cell B, ...).
Recent commercial systems, how they relate to open standards (RealAudio, Internet Phone, Netscape's proposal for "LiveMedia" ...). Consequences of commercial interests making unilateral modifications to open protocols.
The MBONE: structure, tools, and current status.
Attempts to integrate real-time applications into the Web, including commercial attempts at streaming audio and video. use of webcast at Darmstadt WWW Conference.
Social & Economic Issues: privacy, impact of "indecency" portions of U.S. Telecomms. bill, recent suite by telecomms companies to forbid voice communications over the Internet, ...
What multicasting has to offer the Web (e.g., strategies for decreasing impact of the Web on network bandwidth), and what the Web has to offer the multicasting community (e.g., a powerful conferencing aid).
Multicasting tools for the "mass platforms" (Macintosh, PC).

Created: 9 April 1996
Last updated: 26 April 1996