@Macarlo, Inc
In Affiliation with  CNET

=@MACARLO MICROSOFT=  =@MACARLO YAHOO=  =@MACARLO WEBALIAS=  =@MACARLO PRONET=

 

Contact:  Rollin White (Rollin@scoug.com)
          1-562-596-5121 office

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

  Warp Expo West announces something very special - a live
video feed over the Internet from the show floor.

  You'll be able to watch the video on your Netscape
browser.

  The continuous broadcasts will begin when Warp Expo West
opens it doors on Saturday.

  At this time we aren't exactly sure how many channels of
video we will deliver.  The system itself can supply four
different channels and we hope to have all four up and
running.  There are multiple T1 lines in place to deliver
these four video channels to the Internet backbone.

  There are some technical issues that still need to be
worked out.  The audio feed is one we're still working on,
and fine tuning the HTML code for your Netscape browser is
another.

  Still, the video system worked fine in tests on both
Saturday and Sunday and we're confident we can deliver live
video to you on "show day" this coming Saturday.  There will
be a special link on the Warp Expo West web pages and you
won't need anything but your Netscape browser.

  This is not a "webcam".  This is full-motion video, just
like you see on your television.

  Even with the multiple T1 lines there are some bandwidth
issues and we may have to reduce the image size, increase
the compression level or restrict the number of simultaneous
users depending on how many people choose to "tune in".  A
lot depends on the average bandwidth of viewers like
yourself, since cable modems and DSL lines will load our
video system more than 56K modems.  Consider this a part of
OS/2 history, as we take a "first shot" at sending
full-motion video to your computer screen.

  The idea for the live video feed belongs to Tim Katz of
Demand Systems.  (Demand Systems is an OS/2 preinstaller and
an exhibitor at Warp Expo West.)

  Tim Katz did the engineering design work, lined up the
equipment and first tested the fully completed system on the
Demand Systems network last Saturday.  He and Steve
Schiffman, the Network and Facilities Director for Warp Expo
West, then tested the system at the show site on Sunday.

  There was plenty of preparation for the final test.  "I
had to ensure that our supplier network was capable of
supplying the bandwidth required," said Schiffman, "and that
meant checking on each segment of the uplink.  We'll have
cameras in the lecture rooms and in the exhibitor area, and
we'll supply a combination of live video feeds and repeat
broadcasts of the most popular lectures."

  Tim Katz had to work out some last-minute connections and
spent part of the testing time working on the HTML.
"Netscape supports live video, but Internet Explorer
requires a special add-on which we won't support," said
Katz.  "The Netscape HTML is coded in a certain way and it
took a bit of experimentation to get it right."

  And Tim McCoy, owner of Demand Systems and present during
the tests, was very pleased.  "We like to come up with a
solution no matter what the problem, and live video on the
Internet is in everyone's future for seminars, trade shows,
even family events such as weddings and any gathering of
people.  It's cost effective."

  Rollin White, Chairman of Warp Expo West, said that
"watching live video over the Internet is a great
demonstration of why OS/2 is a leading technology platform."

  And Terry Warren, President of The Southern California
OS/2 User Group (SCOUG), the show's sponsoring organization,
said "This is the technology of the future and we're pleased
that SCOUG can bring this new benefit to OS/2 users via Warp
Expo West."

                          
  Warp Expo West will be held on September 18 near Disneyland in sunny Southern California.  All the info is at

http://www.scoug.com/warpexpowest

  Sponsored by The Southern California OS/2 User Group.

@Macarlo, Inc.
@Macarlo's Shareware & Web
OS/2
Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited

[TOP] [HOME] [INDEX]