X-Sender: maryfran@mail.sura.org Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:27:45 -0500 To: pbs-demo@thequilt.net From: Mary Fran Yafchak Subject: Notes from PBS-Quilt project call, 2/14/03 Cc: Mary Fran Yafchak Status: Dear all, Below are the notes from our most recent PBS-Quilt Project meeting. I'm not sure I got everything down or down correctly so please send corrections, additions, etc, if you have them. Our next call will be this Friday, 2/28, 12:30 p.m. (800-998-2462, code: 6305950). The agenda for that is pretty much to check status on open action items and then turn our attention to developing a plan for further contact and qualification of endpoints. Talk to you then, -mfy PBS-Quilt meeting, 2/14/03 Attendees: MFY New co-lead Greg Palmer (briefly; should be able to stay next time) David Felland, MPTV Steven Vedro. consultant/UWisc Extension Dennis Haarsager, CPB/Washington State University Jim Marstellar, Pittsburgh Gigapop Greg Petrowich, University of Alaska at Fairbanks Eddy Winstead, NCREN, in for Mark Johnson Greg Marks, MERIT Jim Kutzner, PBS Matt Zekauskas, Internet2 End-to-End Performance working group 1) Status of Action Items: - Ellen sent her spreadsheet for gathering K-12 endpoint information. We will begin using that as our primary place to stash this detail (connectivity description, decoder capability, display capability, teacher/curriculum contacts). [Update: latest copy is attached with a couple of additions from the Pacific Northwest Gigapop] She is still checking into the availability of I2 V-Brick units for extended use with this project. She succesfully corraled Matt Zekauskas to attend this call [Note: Matt had to drop off early due to cell phone troubles] - Larry Flournoy and Greg Palmer may have additional K-12 possibilities but still need to send this info if they have it. Once they do, it will be added to the spreadsheet and factored into the discussion. - MFY contacted Jacqueline Brown at the Pacific Northwest gigapop and has added some schools to the spreadsheet based on this. - There are not enough folks in the group who would be able to attend a project meeting at I2. Will continue with telecons and email. 2) Continue to refine initial project scope (what feed, what network path, what school(s), what timeframe, what are our missing pieces to do this first pass?) Re: more detail on the zoo feed (what might be seen in each exhibit, what times of day/year, etc.) - Per David, the zoo is very interested and the curators could be available to meet with us re: how to develop "enhanced channels" to send along with the HD feed. MPTV has tenatively scheduled a meeting with them within the context of MPTV's existing plans. The curators are still checking for background information on exhibits, starting w/Amazon River, and will pass that information along to Steve and David to be put into a form they can use to "shop" the idea to UWisc and the Evolving Links project. MFY: What about K-12s (or others) as developers of enhanced content as well? David: Could send this doc to them as well but first they want to see if UWisc will lead the development effort. They should have the information from the zoo by early next week (week starting 2/17) and will send their doc based on this to the list for reaction/review. More clarification on the need/role of content development partners - MPTV has an existing plan they are following (4 hours HD content committed, some potential collaborators for educational enhancement to offer "enhanced channels"). K-12s can immediately be receivers of this content. K-12 (or others?) might also be developers of enhanced content at some point. Role for PBS can be to provide this base feed to sites however they choose to receive it. Receivers can then use/enhance it from there. One role for Quilters is to carry this prepared content to a broader audience, satisfying the gigapop's interest in examing network performance and tolerance issues associated with this type of content and also in offering broader services to their members/customers. And yet more clarification - There are 4 basic types of participation here: 1) transmit/receive HD content realtime, 2) transmit/receive dual feed of/HD and lower bandwith info loop, 3) submit enhancements related to the content, 4) be a content generator (in addition to forests and zoos :-)...) Reiteration of interest on part of Quilters that were on the call: - Greg Marks/MERIT - Interested in the HDTV feed to explore as a big chunk of bandwidth. Also notes that folks have found the dual feed approach (data and expert) to be very effective. Curious about manipulation potential for camera - how is it fixed/mounted/handled at the zoo end? How much user-initiated mobility of the image is possible and who can they talk to at the zoo? Note from David F - camera at the zoo can be controlled remotely but user control could present a problem of users messing things up for other users. Eddy Winstead/NCREN - Generally the same as MERIT, would like to move large feeds around, have users of their gigapop that would like to and be capable of receiving this content, maybe some enhancers of the content as well. Jim Marstellar/Pittsburgh gigapop - Trying to learn more about how this technology is being applied over I2 and through gigapops, with a goal to find new applications. Also has some contacts at PBS station at State College in PA. He is not sure what their intentions are in this area but they might be interested in getting new content to their viewers and in a different way. Greg Petrowich - Not sure yet since he represents a university and not a gigaPoP. Originally joined to work on unique content from Alaska, remains a possibility... 3) Related topics - - Update on the commodity Internet test between WPTV and PBS - Did a 4 hour HDTV feed over the commodity Internet approx. 2 - 6 a.m. from MTPV to PBS. Analyzed the signal as received and lost approx 1/2 second of material (not sure if that represents aggregated loss or a single 1/2 second). Broadcasters hate this but in today's (IP?) network world, this was really good. They need to analyze the performance more closely (also SD feed that was done during the day) to understand its performance as a TV signal. - Update on the NASA situation from Steven Vedro - Shuttle program is on hold due to Columbia tragedy. The footage of the launch (Fall 2003) and related ISS activity is to be an exclusive for the Discovery Channel with availability of footage after that for general educational purposes. If plans change with the launch, Discovery Channel may become interested in obtaining similar rights for the umanned Rover footage (scheduled in 2004), which is "unclaimed" at this time. (Steve's earlier thought was that this group, after completing some demonstrable work, might put forward a proposal for an exclusive position on the early Rover footage.) Attachment converted: Yafchak Mac:PBS_Quilt_interested_K12.xls 1 (XLS8/XCEL) (001598CF) -- ************************************************************ Mary Fran Yafchak IT Program Coordinator SURA (Southeastern Universities Research Association) http://www.sura.org "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it" A. Einstein. ************************************************************