RFC 2728 (rfc2728) - Page 1 of 23

The Transmission of IP Over the Vertical Blanking Interval of a Television Signal

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Network Working Group                                    R. Panabaker
Request for Comments: 2728                                  Microsoft
Category: Standards Track                                  S. Wegerif
                                               Philips Semiconductors
                                                           D. Zigmond
                                                       WebTV Networks
                                                        November 1999


    The Transmission of IP Over the Vertical Blanking Interval of a
                           Television Signal


Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

1. Abstract

   This document describes a method for broadcasting IP data in a
   unidirectional manner using the vertical blanking interval of
   television signals.  It includes a description for compressing IP
   headers on unidirectional networks, a framing protocol identical to
   SLIP, a forward error correction scheme, and the NABTS byte
   structures.

2. Introduction

   This RFC proposes several protocols to be used in the transmission of
   IP datagrams using the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) of a
   television signal.  The VBI is a non-viewable portion of the
   television signal that can be used to provide point-to-multipoint IP
   data services which will relieve congestion and traffic in the
   traditional Internet access networks.  Wherever possible these
   protocols make use of existing RFC standards and non-standards.

   Traditionally, point-to-point connections (TCP/IP) have been used
   even for the transmission of broadcast type data.  Distribution of
   the same content--news feeds, stock quotes, newsgroups, weather




Panabaker, et al.           Standards Track
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