A multimedia server retrieves blocks of data from a storage medium and
supplies the blocks in the form of data streams to users. The streams
include a group of high bit rate streams and a group of low bit rate
streams. The system has a reader for in a sweep reading data blocks from
the storage medium for a selected group of streams and for storing the
data blocks in respective buffers. The system further has a scheduler for
determining which of the streams is to be serviced, i.e. for which of the
streams a block is to be read, in the next sweep of the reader. The
scheduler according to the invention is operative to determine to service
a low bit rate stream less often than a high bit rate stream.