9 MULTICASTING

Multicasting is the process of simultaneously sending a single video signal to multiple users. All viewers get the same signal at the same time, just as in traditional television broadcasting. Virtually all commercial video broadcasting operates using the concept of multicasting— including cable TV, satellite TV, and over-the-air TV broadcasting. However, when IP networks are used, multicasting is the exception rather than the rule. In this chapter, we’ll look at how multicasting works and then look at a few applications. We’ll also investigate the technology of IP multicasting and get an understanding of the impact that multicasting has on a data network.

Basic Concepts

If you want to understand multicasting, it is helpful to ...

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