A streaming server setup in a nutshell - This is what I sent the TPS board of education on 9/26/06. It was also mentioned in the 10/6/06 edition of the Toledo Free Press. As part of my desire to help anyone, I am posting these steps here and on my Web site as a guide to get started. If you have any questions e-mail me at the address in my profile.
Nutshell (If you do not already have the equipment):
A streaming setup is comprised of an audio input and a video input, a computer to encode the input, a server to duplicate the stream and of course a network between the encoding computer and the streaming server and the users. This is the setup in a nutshell if you want to do video; for audio remove the video input.
Setup:
While you can use a single computer to encode the inputs and serve as the server to duplicate the streams to users, this is not recommended because the results will not be the best.
Your set up can range from the cheap to the expensive.
Most affordable & professional set up (and ease of set up):
Purchase or find and use 2 Apple computers with OS X.
If you need to purchase the computers:
1 iMac $1,099.00 [ed price see below] to install Darwin Streaming Server (free QuickTime Streaming Server software). The only place you can get a professional streaming server for free. Someone will need to install it and configure it, but it is painless for someone that knows computers. Darwin Streaming Server can be compiled and run on Mac OS X Server, Linux (Red Hat 8 or higher recommended), Solaris 9, and Windows 2000/2003 Server. It is much easier to install and configure on a Mac, but if you have any of those other computers, you can save money and use what you have.
1 MacBook Pro $1,049.00 [ed price] to encode the stream.
1 Mini DV Cannon MiniDV Camera $250-279
1 XLR cable to hook into the sound system. One converter to get it into the computer audio in port (depends on the district audio system and what it outputs).
1 Tri-Pod to set the camera on (the district should have one of these).
Of course the power trees and extension cables as needed.
If you have any of the equipment above, it will bring down the price. You may or may not have everything. If you want to purchase from scratch, then you will spend around $2600 for a basic set up. You could get better computers and camera if you want, but the setup above is the Ford Escort of a streaming; it will get the job done for you and should serve what I would forecast to be the number of users you can expect to watch the meeting over the Internet.
For more details, please visit my Web site at http://streaming.plumbrook.com
posted by chrismyers to technology at 8:08 P.M. EST
(7 Comments)
Comments ...
huh?
posted by Beowulf at 06:05 A.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
Why does TPS need a streaming server set up?
posted by OhioKat at 08:23 A.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
Is this to see just how much is not getting done?
posted by MikeyA at 09:00 A.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
If they had a media setup - the school board meetings could be streamed out to the community.
It's hard for me to get to 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. board meetings with work.
We also have and support the local cable system (and I haven't researched the exact terminology) which is supposed to provide the community with an access channel for the purpose of these types of things being available to the public.
For some reason - even though the above diagrams that this is a minimal expense - there is resistance to this from local (not all - but most) politicians.
Makes you wonder what they would rather we all not see?
posted by katie82640 at 01:28 P.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
Why bother with any of those things? Just go to Radio Shack and buy a $5.99 tape recorder and be done with.
posted by HolyHolyToledo at 02:23 P.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
HHT - if people went to the meetings that'd work :-) But lots can't make it. Lil' old scheduling issue.
posted by katie82640 at 03:24 P.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
I posted this here as a resource on the Internet for everyone to look at and possibly use. I mentioned I sent it to TPS to give context to the article in the Toledo Free Press.
posted by chrismyers at 07:51 P.M. EST on Wed Oct 11, 2006 #
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