This book provides a concise guide to current IP Multicast technology and its applications, with a focus on IP-based Television (IPTV) and Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) applications???‚¬???areas of tremendous commercial interest. Traditional phone companies can use IP Multicast technology to deliver video services over their networks; cell phone companies can use it to stream video to handheld phones and PDAs; and many cable TV companies are considering upgrading to IP technology. In addition to applications in industries seeking to provide high-quality digital video and audio, there are numerous other practical uses: multi-site corporate videoconferencing; broad distribution of financial data, stock quotes, and news bulletins; database replication; software distribution; and content caching (for example, Web site caching).