Berkeley Internet Broadcasting System

For help please e-mail the BIBS Mailing List

Q1. What is BIBS?
Q2. What classes are broadcast on BIBS?
Q3. What is included in a program?
Q4. Can I watch BIBS programs on my computer?
Q5. Where can I watch BIBS programs?
Q6. What kind of Internet connection is required?
Q7. Can I watch BIBS from home?
Q8. Is there an archive of previous programs? Q9. Can I store a BIBS program on my hardrive?
Q10. Is there a BIBS mailing list?
Q11. What is the Internet MBone?
Q12. Why use IP-Multicast rather than separate unicast connections between pairs of participants?
Q13. How does a program connect to an IP-Multicast Session?
Q14. How are messages delivered to hosts all over the Internet?
Q15. Who can watch BIBS programs?
Q16. Can I ask a question when I am watching a class remotely?
Q17. Can the instructor or other participants see me?
Q18. What locations at Berkeley can orginate a program?
Q19. What system is used to produce a program?
Q20. Can someone other than Berkeley students watch BIBS programs?
Q21. Can someone outside view a program without making it available to everyone in the world?
Q22. Can someone who is not a Berkeley student take a class through BIBS?
Q23. Who developed BIBS?
Q24. What is OMS?

Q1. What is BIBS? [TOP]

BIBS is an interactive television system that works through your computer and the Internet. Live programs include classes at UC Berkeley and other television and video programs. Many programs are recorded in an archive which allows viewers to watch any program on-demand at any time. The BIBS system began experimental broadcasts in the Fall 1998 semester after over three years of experience broadcasting the Berkeley Multimedia, Interfaces, and Graphics Seminar.

Q2. What classes are broadcast on BIBS? [TOP]

For a list of the classes that are being broadcast and archived in BIBS see the current semester schedule.

Many people ask what classes will be webcast in future semesters. We cannot say exactly which classes will be available until shortly before the semester. In general, whether a particular class will be available depends on the following criteria:

video capture capability in the classroom
availability of video digitizing resources (e.g., people to operate cameras and other equipment)
willingness of the instructor to have the class broadcast
student demand

The following locations are equipped with video capture and digitizing capabilities: 1 Pimentel, 203 McLaughlin, and 405 Soda. In addition, we can webcast material from any classroom connected to the OMS video switch. We hope to add more classrooms to this list in the future.

Q3. What is included in a program? [TOP]

A BIBS program includes one or more video streams and an audio stream. For classes, the video stream(s) include the instructor and presentation materials (e.g., transparencies, computer screen, video tapes, etc.). Other programs can include video streams from some or all participants and an audio stream that includes sound from all participants.

Q4. Can I watch BIBS programs on my computer? [TOP]

BIBS programs are webcast using either Real/G2 or Internet Mbone technology. Real/G2 software exists for Windows and Mac platforms. Real Networks is working on a Linux release which should be available eventually. Internet Mbone software is available for Unix Workstations (e.g., FreeBSD/Pentium, Irix/SGI, Linux/Pentium, and Solaris/UltraSparc) and Windows computers (W95/W98/WNT). The Macintosh Quicktime4 player can be used to watch a live single stream program, but it does not handle multiple streams nor will the current BIBS archive work with it. We are working to fix both difficiencies. Links to the current software is available on the software download page.

Q5. Where can I watch BIBS programs? [TOP]

You can watch BIBS programs on computers connected to the Internet. Some programs can be viewed from any computer on the Internet MBone (e.g., the Berkeley Multimedia, Interfaces, and Graphics Seminar). Other programs can only be viewed on computers in the Berkeley domain (i.e., computers whose name ends with Berkeley.EDU). We are working on software that will allow authorized individuals to watch programs from any computer on the Internet.

Currently many of our on campus viewers are watching from their dorm room connections. BIBS can be accessed from some of the computer labs on campus, including the Moffitt Microcomputer Facility. We are working to increase the number of labs where BIBS is available. Please send us mail if you have suggestions of other locations that do not currently have BIBS software installed.

Q6. What kind of Internet connection is required? [TOP]

Most programs are recorded at 50-500 Kbits/sec. Real/G2 programs can be viewed on dialup modems (e.g., 28.8 kbs) but you will receive very poor video images. The images are better on a 50 Kbs modem or higher speed connection (e.g., cable modem or DSL service). Programs broadcast on the Internet Mbone require 100-800 Kbits/sec.

Q7. Can I watch BIBS from home? [TOP]

The Real/G2 programs can be played at various speeds, including dial-up modems, but the quality is poor. With a DSL or cable modem connection the quality should be comparable to that available on campus.

Internet Mbone programs require at least 200 Kbs connections.

Q8. Is there an archive of previous programs? [TOP]

Yes, most classes are archived on-line. You can replay any lecture on-demand. See the bottom of the BIBS schedule page for access to the archive of previous semesters.

Q9. Can I store a BIBS program on my hardrive? [TOP]

We do not support downloading of BIBS programs onto users local machines for reasons of copyright. By maintaining a single BIBS repository we can effectively limit access to classes that should not be transmitted outside of the Berkeley student community.

Q10. Is there a BIBS mailing list? [TOP]

Yes, there is a mailing list bibs-users@bmrc.berkeley.edu.

You can join the list by sending a message to

bibs-users-list-request@bmrc.berkeley.edu with the word "subscribe" in the body of the message. The subscribe command accepts an optional email address (e.g., "subscribe YourName@uclink.Berkeley.EDU") so you can direct list messages to your home email box rather than the host you use to read/send email.

This list is unmoderated, so any message you send to it will be forwarded to all members of the list.

To remove yourself from the list, send a message to

bibs-users-list-request@bmrc.berkeley.edu with "unsubscribe" in the body. The unsubscribe command also accepts an optional email address.

There is also a mail address for questions about BIBS and bug reports. The address for that is

bibs@bmrc.berkeley.edu

Q11. What is the Internet MBone? [TOP]

The Internet MBone is a subset of hosts on the Internet that agree to transmit multicast packets. Most users are familiar with the basic point-to-point protocols, called unicast, used on the Internet. These protocols include: 1) TCP which promises reliable delivery, that is, the system insures that all packets transmitted are received and 2) UDP which uses unreliable delivery, that is, the system drops packets if the network is congested. UDP is sometimes called a best effort service.

IP-Multicast is another Internet protocol. IP-Multicst provides unreliable N-way communication which means that any participant can send a message to all other participants. A communication group is called a session. Each session carries one type of media (e.g., audio, video, or data). Consequently, a BIBS program is composed of at least two sessions: one for audio and one for video.

BIBS uses IP-Multicast to send audio, video, and data to all participants in a session.

Q12. Why use IP-Multicast rather than separate unicast connections between pairs of participants? [TOP]

IP-Multicast is much more efficient - it uses fewer network resources to deliver messages. Suppose fifty people in San Francisco and fifty people in New York were participants in the same session. If separate unicast sessions were used, every time someone in New York sent a message, fifty copies of the message would be transmitted across the United States so that all fifty people in San Francisco will receive the message. Using IP-Multicast, only one copy of the message is sent from New York to San Francisco. Routers in the San Francisco area forward the message to any network with participants in the session.

Q13. How does a program connect to an IP-Multicast Session? [TOP]

Every host on the Internet has an address, called an IP Address, that is similar to a phone number. Programs open connections to other computers by translating the host name (e.g., "www.berkeley.edu") to an IP Address and sending a message to that address. A subset of IP Addresses are reserved for IP-Multicast Sessions. These addresses refer to the set of hosts with users connected to the session rather than one host. When a program sends a message to an IP-Multicast Session, the Internet delivers a copy of the message to any host that has a participant connected to the session.

Q14. How are messages delivered to hosts all over the Internet? [TOP]

The Internet is composed of networks of computers. These networks are connected together by routers. A router is a computer that has connections to one or more networks. Messages sent from a host on one network to a host on a different network are copied from one network to another by the routers.

When a user connects to an IP-Multicast Session, his or her computer sends a message to all routers connected to the local network requesting to join the particular session. Other hosts and routers on the network see this message and add this host to the ones that should receive messages from that session.

Q15. Who can watch BIBS programs? [TOP]

Technically, anyone can watch BIBS programs. However, some programs are restricted to faculty, students, and staff at UC Berkeley. In the future, we plan to broadcast more programs to people outside of Berkeley and to encourage people to take courses using the BIBS system.

Q16. Can I ask a question when I am watching a class remotely? [TOP]

The facilities for asking questions are very limited at this time. We have developed another tool, called the QuestionBoard, that allows any participant to post a question or indicate that they want to ask a question. We experimented with the QuestionBoard tool in the Berkeley MIG Seminar, and we plan to deploy it in BIBS in the near future. See the paper Floor Control for Large-Scale MBone Seminars which describes the QuestionBoard.

Q17. Can the instructor or other participants see me? [TOP]

Some tools for watching BIBS programs can show a list of participants who decide to identify themselves. If the instructor is running such a tool, he or she can see the names of participants and see pictures of the user if he or she is sending a video image to the session.

Q18. What locations at Berkeley can orginate a program? [TOP]

It is possible to webcast programs from many classrooms and offices on the Berkeley campus. Live programs can be broadcast from several studio classrooms in Soda Hall (e.g., 405 Soda Hall where the Berkeley MIG Seminar orginates), the televised instruction classroom operated by the College of Engineering CAL View program (i.e., 203 McLaughlin), the distance learning classroom operated by the Office of Media Services (OMS) (137 Dwinnelle Hall), and any other classroom with a video link to the OMS video routing switcher (e.g., 1 Pimentel, 145 and 155 Dwinnelle, etc.). See the OMS Classroom Web Pages for more information. In addition, live programs from an 18" Direct Broadcast Satellite on top of Soda Hall and a TCI cable connection in OMS can be forwarded onto campus.

Video tape programs can be transmitted on BIBS by OMS.

Q19. What system is used to produce a program? [TOP]

We are using both the Real/G2 tools and Internet MBone tools to broadcast live BIBS programs. The Real/G2 software is a commercial product from Real Networks, Inc. The Internet Mbone tools were developed originally at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories and UC Berkeley. Some commercial vendors have announced plans to support viewing of Internet MBone programs (e.g., Real Networks G2 System).

Q20. Can someone other than Berkeley students watch BIBS programs? [TOP]

Yes, if the program is broadcast beyond the Berkeley domain. Because we are still experimenting with broadcasting Berkeley classes, we restrict access to most programs to Berkeley students, staff, and faculty. However, some programs are broadcast world wide on the Internet (see the Berkeley MIG Seminar on Wednesdays from 1.10 to 2.30 PDT).

Q21. Can someone outside view a program without making it available to everyone in the world? [TOP]

Yes, the Internet MBone Technology which is used to implement BIBS allows sessions to be encrypted using DES algorithms so that all streams are protected from casual viewers. (Most computer users are aware that some encryption algorithms, including DES with short keys, can be easily broken by determined hackers in a couple of days so you should not rely on BIBS for secure communications.)

In addition, the system could be configured to require a specific invitation from a moderator before anyone can join a program.

Q22. Can someone who is not a Berkeley student take a class through BIBS? [TOP]

Our plan is to offer selected Berkeley classes through University Extension sometime in the near future. Watch the BIBS home page for annoucements about taking Berkeley classes through the Internet.

Q23. Who developed BIBS? [TOP]

BIBS was developed by researchers and staff at the Berkeley Multimedia Research Center to support experiments with synchronous and asynchronous distance learning technologies. The underlying technology was developed by a dedicated group of researchers from all over the world. Researchers here and elsewhere have developed the low-level network protocols (e.g., IP-Multicast and IGMP), middleware protocols, services, and toolkits for sending and receiving streaming media (e.g., RTP, RTCP, SAP, Mash, etc.), high-level application protocols for announcing and managing distributed collaboration (e.g., sdr, vat, vic, wb, mediaboard, etc.), and systems for producing and managing interactive broadcasts (e.g., MARS, Berkeley Broadcast Manager, a video effects system, director's console, etc.).

Q24. What is OMS? [TOP]

The Office of Media Services (OMS) is the UC Berkeley service unit responsible for providing faculty with audio-visual equipment, instructional technologies, and consultation to support and enhance classroom teaching.