A stream transfer control system including a server unit and a plurality of clients connected to each other through a network, the server unit including a plurality of transmission buffers provided corresponding to the respective clients, a read management unit for issuing a data reading request upon receiving a transfer request from a client, as well as issuing a data reading request every time a data block stored in the transmission buffer is read to empty the buffer, and a data transfer unit for reading a data block in the transmission buffer after a lapse of a fixed time since when a transfer request arrives at the read management unit and at every lapse of the fixed time from then on, thereby transferring streams to the plurality of clients over the network.

In an information distribution/reproduction control apparatus, a plurality of stream servers distribute real-time reproducible stream information to a plurality of clients through a network like the Internet. A transit control server controls the stream servers for the distribution of the stream information, and also controls the clients for real-time reproduction of the stream information.

Computer programming for use with the PC of an on-line data access user and with the host computer of an on-line data access provider or file server. After dialing the host point of presence through a telecommunication switch and logging onto the host computer, the user uploads a batch of queries to the host computer. After uploading the queries, the user logs off of the host computer and terminates the switched connection. When the host computer has accumulated the last response to the user's batch of queries, the host computer dials the user and downloads the responses after an optional log-on sequence. Alternatively, the host computer holds the responses until the user again dials the host computer's point of presence and logs onto the host computer and requests download of the responses.

An Internet broadcast system includes a video file providing apparatus and a video receiving/reproducing apparatus that are connected via the Internet. The providing apparatus includes a storing unit for storing a video file consecutively storing a plurality of sets of sectional video data. The receiving/reproducing apparatus stores a plurality of video reproduction tables specifying sets of sectional video data in an order of reproduction. A viewer designates one of the video reproduction tables. An information processing unit in the receiving/reproducing apparatus generates a transfer instruction for each set of sectional video data specified in the designated table, and transmits the generated instruction to the providing apparatus. Upon receiving the instruction, the providing apparatus reads a set of sectional video data from the video file, and transmits the read set to the receiving/reproducing apparatus. The receiving/reproducing apparatus outputs and reproduces each received set of sectional video data in the reproduction order.

A wide band radio transmission method, apparatus and computer readable medium for transmitting bit streams of a video-related application through a radio channel are provided. The wide band radio transmission method comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining identification information on a video-related application which is executed in a user layer, from the user layer; (b) obtaining information on at least one of channel characteristics and a decoding state from a physical layer; and (c) deciding on a quality of service (QoS) level with reference to the identification information and the information on at least one of the channel characteristics and the decoding state from the physical layer. The wide band radio transmission method can efficiently support video-related applications such as applications of the H.324M standard, the H.323 standard, the H.320 standard, and the MPEG-4 standard. Also, negotiations on video services having different quality of service (QoS) levels can be performed, and then, optimum video services considering channel characteristics can be provided.