Modeling a system to deliver electronic entertainment over a broadband connection
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410520087 |
| Published date | 01 February 2004 |
| Pages | 23-31 |
| Date | 01 February 2004 |
| Author | Andrew Tjew,Nimai Malle |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Modeling a system to
deliver electronic
entertainment over a
broadband connection
Andrew Tjew and
Nimai Malle
1 Introduction
Computing power was first used for military,
academic, and business purposes. It did not
take long before excess computing power was
utilized for personal use and entertainment
(Waldrop, 2001; Rockwell, 1999). The
invention of the microprocessor put computing
power within the reach of the general public.
Very soon, dedicated systems appeared with the
single purpose of providing entertainment. In
1972, Nolan Bushnell founded Atari to bring
computing power to the masses in the form of a
console (Rockwell, 1999). The early consoles
were powered by 8-bit microprocessors with
auxiliary integrated circuits providing
rudimentary video and sound. Data programs
for these consoles are stored on ROM chips in a
cartridge which allows the user to change
programs by plugging in different cartridges.
The current consoles use 32-bit
microprocessors with dedicated processing
units providing additional computing power for
3D and DSP calculations. Data programs are
stored on optical discs using proprietary
formats and form factors. The consoles are very
capable data processors and have enough
computing power to simulate cars and
airplanes, control thousands of virtual
characters, and generate real-time 3D graphics
and sounds.
The introduction of the Internet to the
general public follows a path that is not unlike
the introduction of computing power (Tehan,
1999). It was first used for military, academic,
and business purposes. With the decrease in
cost of running the network and the increase in
network capacity, the Internet becomes
available for entertainment purposes. The
technology used to deliver Internet access to the
public evolved from the telephone modem to
dedicated digital subscriber lines (DSL) and
cable modems, with satellite technology playing
a minor role. The bandwidth increases from less
than 100Kbps to more than 1Mbps. The
introduction of residential fiber optic
The authors
Andrew Tjew is a Software Consultant and Nimai Malle is
a Software Engineer, both at Broadizon Inc, Austin, Texas,
USA.
Keywords
Broadband networks, Electronic media, Entertainment,
Computers, Operating systems
Abstract
A console connected to servers over a broadband connection
is an efficient system to provide electronic entertainment.
Issues such as the role of the operating system, bandwidth
requirements, network optimization, security and privacy
need to be examined and solutions need to be evaluated. In
this paper, we describe a model and an exploration
environment in which we can examine issues and evaluate
our design in a systematic manner. Simulation of the various
components was required in which we were able to obtain
some preliminary results.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
The authors wish to thank Akintunde Omitowoju for
the many fruitful discussions.
23
The Electronic Library
Volume 22 .Number 1 .2004 .pp. 23-31
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited .ISSN 0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640470410520087
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