Sticking to Standard Technologies

Wherever possible, Broadcast Architecture software relies on standard solutions that are widely accepted, understood, and supported in the industry. These standards include:

• The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networking protocol. This protocol is the one used by the Internet. By using TCP/IP as their primary networking protocol, broadcast clients make a standard way available to communicate with virtually any network in the world.
• The Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system. In addition to being the successor to the most widely used and understood 32-bit operating system Windows 95, Windows 98 includes a number of components that are becoming or have become standards themselves:
  • Windows Sockets (WinSock) version 2.0. This application programming interface (API) provides a network abstraction layer that allows applications to receive and send network data without needing any information about the network involved. WinSock also provides access to TCP/IP.
  • Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) ports. The NDIS standard allows hardware device drivers to be written independently of the target operating system.
  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer. By incorporating Internet Explorer technology, the broadcast client can take advantage of all the latest Internet and Web enhancements.
  • Component Object Model (COM). This open standard allows different software modules, written without information about each other, to work together as if they were part of the same program.
  • Key codes for television remote controls. The remote control buttons included on keyboards and other devices communicate with broadcast clients by using standard Windows key codes. Use of standard key codes makes integration of remote functions into hardware very simple for manufacturers.