Chapter 4: Channels

This Chapter describes what channels are, how to use them and how to set their properties.

Channel Registration

What is a Channel?

Channels are used to transmit InfoPaks. These channels are analogous to cable TV channels, in that the InfoPaks transmit like programs chosen by the channel operator. You may register to a channel or terminate your registration to any channel with ease.

Registering to a channel allows you to automatically get new and updated information without having to retrieve it manually from the Web. Initial registration to a channel may be via the channel provider's Web site, the BackWeb site's channel directory or manually via the BackWeb window.

Accessing Channel Properties

BackWeb enables you to specify the channel properties that most suit your needs in terms of connection to the Internet, display on your screen, and storage on your hard disk.

Connection

To define the connection properties of the channel, select Properties from the Channel menu or click the Properties button on the toolbar. Click the Connection tab. The Channel Properties - Connection dialog box displays:

The following connection information can be specified:

Channel Identification. View the name, address and Web page of the channel. You can browse the Web page using the Open Web Page button.

Channel Priority. Set the channel’s priority to low, medium, or high. The channel's priority level determines what proportion of InfoPaks downloaded and displayed belong to a particular channel.

Channel State. Enable or disable the channel. Use the Connect to Channel button to activate the channel immediately if it is enabled. When a channel is disabled, no new InfoPaks are downloaded from this channel. The current status of the channel is displayed.

Types

To define the types of display properties of the channel, select Properties from the Channel menu or click the Properties button on the toolbar. Click the Types tab. The Channel Properties -Types dialog box displays:

The following display information can be specified:

Download. Select the types of InfoPaks you wish to receive from the channel.

Auto-play. Select the types of InfoPaks you would like to auto-play.

If an InfoPak method has been deactivated in the general properties, a warning is displayed next to the option that has been deactivated and the settings for this method will have no effect.

Advanced

To define additional properties of the channel, select Properties from the Channel menu or click the Properties button on the toolbar. Click the Advanced tab. The Channel Properties - Advanced dialog box displays:

The following information can be specified:

Disk Space. Specify whether to use the default amount of disk space specified in the general setup or allocate an amount of disk space for this channel.

Urgent Messages. Specify if you want urgent InfoPaks to be played immediately.

Channel Registration

Channels may be joined in any of the following ways:

Directly from a Web site.

Through the BackWeb Channel Directory.

Through the BackWeb Window manual channel registration.

The list of channels you have joined are displayed in the Channels pane of the BackWeb Window, with their name and current status.

Registration Via a Web Site

To add a channel from a BackWeb enabled Web site being browsed, click the hot spot to subscribe, or follow the instructions provided, such as filling out a registration form.

Registration Via the BackWeb Channel Directory

To view an updated list of existing BackWeb channels:

1. Select Add From Directory from the Channel menu or click on the Channel Directory button on the toolbar. A Web page containing the list of all channels available displays in your default Web browser.

2. Click on the channel you wish to join; you are connected to the channel’s registration page. Refer to Registration Via a Web Site for details on registering to a channel.

Registration Via the BackWeb Window

To join a channel using the BackWeb window, select Add Manually from the Channel menu. When joining a channel via the BackWeb window, you have to know the channel’s BackWeb server address.

The Next and Back buttons can be used to navigate through the windows and change parameters as needed.

Channel Address and Name

After pressing the Next button in the introductory dialog box, the Channel Address and Name dialog box displays.

The following information must be specified:

Channel Server Address. The server address of the channel you wish to join. Without this address you cannot add a channel manually.

Channel Name. The name you want to give to the new channel.

Press the Next button to proceed to the Channel Priority dialog box.

Channel Priority

The channel priority dialog box allows you to specify the priority of the channel you are joining relative to the other channels that you have already joined. The priority is used by BackWeb when downloading InfoPaks from the channels.

Click on the priority radio button you want to set for the channel: high, medium or low.

Press the Next button to proceed to the Download & Auto-Play Options dialog box.

Download & Auto-Play Options

The Download & Auto-Play Options dialog box allows you to indicate if you would like BackWeb to download and play InfoPaks automatically from this channel.

Specify the types of InfoPaks you wish to receive from the channel and if you would like them to be auto-played. Press the Next button to proceed to the Storage Space for InfoPaks dialog box.

If an InfoPak method has been deactivated in the general properties, a warning is displayed next to the option that has been deactivated and the settings for this method will have no effect.

Storage Space for InfoPaks

The Storage Space for InfoPaks dialog box enables you to specify the disk space you want to allocate for this channel.

Specify the disk space for this channel and press the Finish button to exit.

Deleting a Channel

If you no longer wish to be registered to a channel and receive InfoPaks from it, you can delete the channel.

To delete a channel:

1. Select the channel in the Channels pane.

2. Select Delete from the Channel menu or click the Delete icon on the toolbar. Click OK to confirm deletion of the channel and its InfoPaks.

1. Right click on the selected channel.

2. Select Delete from the pop-up menu. Click OK to confirm deletion of the channel and its InfoPaks.

Once the channel is deleted, it will no longer appear in the Channels pane of the BackWeb window.

When you delete a channel, all the InfoPaks already received from the channel are also deleted.

Disabling a Channel

Disabling a channel causes it to pause its downloading activities. To disable a channel:

1. Select the channel in the Channels pane.

2. Select Properties from the Channel menu.

3. Click Disable in the State section.

1. Right click on the selected channel.

2. Select Disable from the pop-up menu.

Activating a Channel

To activate a channel that has been disabled:

1. Select the channel in the Channels pane.

2. Select Properties from the Channel menu.

3. Click enable in the State section.

1. Right click on the selected channel.

2. Select Enable from the pop-up menu.

Immediate Channel Activation

To activate a channel immediately regardless of its previous status:

1. Select the channel in the Channels pane.

2. Select Properties from the Channel menu.

3. Click the Connect to Channel button.

4. Click OK.

Assigning Priority to a Channel

The priority assigned to a channel determines the percentage of InfoPaks received from the channel relative to the other channels joined.

To assign priority to a channel:

1. Select Properties from the Channel menu.

2. In the Priority section, select: Low, Medium or High.

Browsing a Channel Home Page

To browse a channel home page:

1. Select the channel in the Channels pane.

2. Select Open Web Page in the Channel menu.

You are taken directly to the channel home page in your Web browser.

This option is grayed-out if not supported by the channel.

Browsing a Channel Registration Page

To browse the registration page of the channel:

1. Select the channel in the BackWeb window.

2. Select Open Registration Page in the Channel menu.

You are taken directly to the channel registration page in your Web browser. The original registration form is opened and all the previous information you provided displays. You can change existing information or add new information on the registration form. When the registration form is submitted, the user information is updated with the new information.

The “Open Registration Page” option is grayed-out if the channel does not support updates of the user information. In this case, you can register to the channel as if you are a new user (using the Web) and fill in all your information including the desired changes. Your current settings will be replaced.

	Channel Identification. View the name, address and Web page of the channel. You can browse the Web page using the Open Web Page button.
	Channel Priority. Set the channel’s priority to low, medium, or high. The channel's priority level determines what proportion of InfoPaks downloaded and displayed belong to a particular channel.
	Channel State. Enable or disable the channel. Use the Connect to Channel button to activate the channel immediately if it is enabled. When a channel is disabled, no new InfoPaks are downloaded from this channel. The current status of the channel is displayed.

	Download. Select the types of InfoPaks you wish to receive from the channel.
	Auto-play. Select the types of InfoPaks you would like to auto-play.
	If an InfoPak method has been deactivated in the general properties, a warning is displayed next to the option that has been deactivated and the settings for this method will have no effect.

	Disk Space. Specify whether to use the default amount of disk space specified in the general setup or allocate an amount of disk space for this channel.
	Urgent Messages. Specify if you want urgent InfoPaks to be played immediately.

	Directly from a Web site.
	Through the BackWeb Channel Directory.
	Through the BackWeb Window manual channel registration.

1.	Select Add From Directory from the Channel menu or click on the Channel Directory button on the toolbar. A Web page containing the list of all channels available displays in your default Web browser.
2.	Click on the channel you wish to join; you are connected to the channel’s registration page. Refer to Registration Via a Web Site for details on registering to a channel.

	Channel Server Address. The server address of the channel you wish to join. Without this address you cannot add a channel manually.
	Channel Name. The name you want to give to the new channel.

1.	Select the channel in the Channels pane.
2.	Select Delete from the Channel menu or click the Delete icon on the toolbar. Click OK to confirm deletion of the channel and its InfoPaks.

1.	Right click on the selected channel.
2.	Select Delete from the pop-up menu. Click OK to confirm deletion of the channel and its InfoPaks.

1.	Select the channel in the Channels pane.
2.	Select Properties from the Channel menu.
3.	Click Disable in the State section.

1.	Right click on the selected channel.
2.	Select Disable from the pop-up menu.

1.	Select the channel in the Channels pane.
2.	Select Properties from the Channel menu.
3.	Click enable in the State section.

1.	Right click on the selected channel.
2.	Select Enable from the pop-up menu.

1.	Select the channel in the Channels pane.
2.	Select Properties from the Channel menu.
3.	Click the Connect to Channel button.
4.	Click OK.

1.	Select Properties from the Channel menu.
2.	In the Priority section, select: Low, Medium or High.

1.	Select the channel in the Channels pane.
2.	Select Open Web Page in the Channel menu.

1.	Select the channel in the BackWeb window.
2.	Select Open Registration Page in the Channel menu.