Bandwidth

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.] 

To set the bandwidth of an interactive show, use the reserved variable, Bandwidth.

Bandwidth value affects such things as the speed of file downloads and, consequently, the length of time needed to perform the download. For example, if you have your bandwidth set for 100,000 bps (bits per second) and change it to 9600 bps, a file and its dependencies that must be downloaded by the 2:00 minute mark in the show will need to begin downloading sooner than under the higher bandwidth setting.

These changes in calculations are handled by the Stream Compiler (stream.dll) when it compiles your stream script from the high-level format to the low-level format. This low-level format, which is suitable for broadcast, contains all the proper download calculations based upon your bandwidth and lead time settings and the size of the files and their dependencies.

If the Stream Compiler determines, after compiling your stream script, that your interactive show cannot be broadcast within the specified time and the bandwidth, it will notify you with an error message. In such a case, you can choose one or more of the following three options:

• Begin the show earlier, during which file downloads take place transparently to the viewer.
• Edit out/trim down some of your enhancements.
• Increase your bandwidth, which would mean you would need to change the transmission carrier method that you use to broadcast the show.

Applicable Signal Carriers

The most common signal carriers are as follows, although the Enhancement Stream language will recognize any bps value that you specify:

Syntax

Bandwidth = bps ;

where bps is an integer representing bits per second.