Overview of the Software

Broadcast clients must be able to handle a wide variety of very high-bandwidth streams. These streams require different kinds of special-purpose hardware for reception and processing. The software that makes this demanding environment work is characterized by three design objectives:

• To use industry-standard technology wherever possible.
• To expose and document extensions specific to Broadcast Architecture.
• To maintain adequate security to protect all parties using Broadcast Architecture.

The software needed to make a broadcast client work can be divided into three categories:

• Operating-system software. The system software provided with Broadcast Architecture is based on industry standards to ensure its reliability and ongoing development.
• The container for Broadcast Architecture applications. Broadcast Architecture applications all run within the standard browser container provided by Microsoft® Internet Explorer. This container allows new applications downloaded by data broadcasters to take full advantage of all broadcast client capabilities, just as if the applications were integral parts of the system.
• Broadcast Architecture applications. These applications can be controls or scripts associated with Web pages, any other Internet application supported by Internet Explorer, or even ordinary programs running on the Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system that operate outside the Internet Explorer container. Among the most important Broadcast Architecture applications is the Program Guide control that lets viewers search, sort, filter, select, and schedule television shows and other content of all kinds.