[IMC-Video] [Fwd: Wi-Fi Experience]

[Sasha Costanza-Chock]

 From a recent project to do live streaming from downtown LA
schock

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Wi-Fi Experience
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:42:29 -0700
From: Scott McGibbon <mcgibbon at usc.edu>
Reply-To: <mcgibbon at usc.edu>
Organization: The Norman Lear Center
To: <schock at riseup.net>
CC: <blakley at usc.edu>

Hi Sasha:
I coordinated, or rather struggled, with the wifi setup we used for our
Grand Ave Park webcast. We used a directional antennae, graciously supplied
as a favor, by the City at the last minute. The source antennae was pointing
out of a window in City Hall. I tried, just for our own viewing purposes, to
use a Verizon wifi card on a laptop, but the speed was completely
unacceptable. So we ended up hooking into a hub connected to the directional
antennae. Our webcaster, Take One Digital, used a pro-sized video cam, fed
into a laptop that was hooked up to the hub. Camera was on a tripod, so
there was not much movement. Speed was at least 300kbps, since that was the
minimum for Take One. Don't know the exact speed. Don't know the streaming
software, but ask Troy Witt, who owns Take One. No firewall issues at all.
Satellite and microwave links were all long contract and tens of thousands
of dollars. Don't have those names now, but got them via Google.  I did talk
with a consulting firm about bringing permanent wifi to the park and the
space around it and learned alot: picking up wifi at a library or Starbucks
is a vastly different game than covering outside space with buildings (which
can bounce the signal around, causing loss of connection), trees (leaves and
trunks can greatly affect signal strength) and changing topography. I hope
that wifi backpack is something that can work for you!  Here's Troy's info:

Take One Productions, Inc.
http://www.takeonedigital.com
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=a8685wbab.0.ovcz7a44.ctymd6n6.319&ts=S0192&p=http%3
A%2F%2Fwww.takeonedigital.com>
Troy at TakeOneDigital.com


Best,
Scott McGibbon
The Norman Lear Center
8383 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 650
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
t: 323-782-3318  f: 323-782-3320
www.learcenter.org