Internetworking Multimedia [Hardcover]

The title of this large-format paperback book merges several popular jargon words of today viz. Internet, Networking and obviously Multimedia and its topical subject is "interactive multimedia on the Internet". Of course, in the 'Internet time' we live by today, the book itself admits that some of its content will be out of date already! The content is essentially a technical survey and detailed description of the standards and techniques needed to implement the book's topic. It is divided into three main sections: 'Technology', 'Middleware' and 'Applications and Services'. The first section includes an introduction to what the authors term as Real-Time "Internet traffic" with chapters on Multicast data communication and Coding and Compression techniques. The middle section, aptly named Middleware (!), deals with Transport Protocols and highlights controlling 'Conferencing' on the Internet. The last section revisits Multicasting but this time looks at Security Policy - including cryptography aspects. 'Media on Demand', viz. Video, DVD, CD audio etc., brings this topic right up to date. Useful Lists of (clear and legible) Figures and Tables supplement a complete Table of Contents. A Glossary is indispensable in a book of this type (in which virtually every sentence includes a Three-Letter Acronym, TLA) and indeed a four-page Glossary is included, together with a Bibliography and Index. The variable level of detail in each chapter probably reflects each co-author's interest and expertise in the topic covered - which can leave one with a slightly uneven feel to the book. The other remaining impression is that with the vast array of Internet/Networking techniques on display it is sometimes difficult to see the 'wood for the trees'. As a broad overview, including a thorough coverage of 'wired' Internet multimedia techniques (but strangely tacit on third-generation mobile telephony e.g. WAPs), the book remains reasonable value for money.