How FERNE Uses the Internet: The How’s and Why’s of Videostreaming

Adam Schlichting Research Associate Department of Emergency Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago Associate Director

The “Case” This meeting is being recorded on a digital video camera Videostreaming will allow these lectures to be accessed 24/7 from anywhere in the world How is this done???

Why Videostream? Educational lectures can be viewed: Anytime Anywhere By anyone with a computer

What Equipment Is Necessary? Video camera (digital or analog) Fast computer with: An audio/video capture card Lots of storage Lots of memory

FERNE Equipment: The Camera Canon XL1 DV Camera Excellent sound, excellent picture

FERNE Equipment: The Server Why buy our own server? Speed Needed a computer with fast processor, lots of memory for videostreaming Storage Videostreamed files are big: 20 Mb Intermediate files are huge: > 1 Gb Cost of off-site server About $20/month for 100 Mb

FERNE Equipment: The Server Dell PowerEdge 1400 Osprey Video capture card Audio card

FERNE Equipment: The Server Osprey Video capture card RCA inputs, same as the back of your TV, VCR Good audio card Standard in computers, not in servers

FERNE Equipment: The Software Microsoft VIDCAP32 Video Capture Tool Intermediate step (Package deal: Osprey video capture) Capture from camera playback Saves as *.avi Import *.avi into Premiere for editing

FERNE Equipment: The Software Video Editing Adobe Premiere Professional video editing software Mouse driven Cut/Paste Crop Drag/drop Possible to capture directly from camera, import all standard audio/video file formats

Thus Far… Ability to record audio/video Edit audio/video Export as standard media: avi mpg pic wav MP3

Storage Issues *.avi or *.mpg files are big 20 minutes is > 1 Gb Entire file must be downloaded onto viewer’s computer to watch Multiple hours Necessary to condense

Videostreaming Progressive downloads: Video files must be downloaded somewhere on the viewer's computer in order to play Streaming video: Arrives to the viewer in "real time“ Viewer doesn’t have to wait for it to download before being able to view it Jump to different areas within video Dynamically adjusts to Internet conditions

Videostreaming Formats Several options available More PC Based More Mac Based

The Choice I’m a PC Guy Before I came on board: First FERNE course was videostreamed using Real by University of Virginia via FERNE Board Member Stephen Huff Subsequent FERNE courses videostreamed at University of Illinois at Chicago Center for the Advancement of Distance Education (CADE) videostreaming lab

Real RealPlayer New version = RealOne Available for free: Link to download from FERNE webpages

RealSystem Software RealSystem Producer Software that allows conversion of audio/video into RealMedia formats for streaming RealSystem Server Software that allows media streaming media to be hosted on server, live or on-demand

Target Audience Specify connections of anticipated target audience for best compression Create multiple files for up to 8 different connection speeds Encode (and link) to single file RealSystem optimizes each viewer’s connection

Example 1 Streaming of Audio and Video

Thus Far… Ability to record audio/video Edit audio/video Export as streaming media Who wants to watch a video of someone talking for minutes?

Syncing Audio With Slides RealPresenter Plus Allows for narrating MS PowerPoint shows Add-in to MS PowerPoint Intended for use with microphone We “trick” it using audio input from camera Watch video for timing of when to change slide

Features Fast-forward Pause Allows viewers to jump to: Desired slides Desired time

Example 2 Streaming of PowerPoint Slides with Audio

FERNE Links Web pages on a server in Jupiter, FL Mb storage Links to our local server for large files PowerPoint shows PDF files Videostreamed content

Making Files Play Automatically So RealPlayer automatically opens: Insert /ramgen/ into link

Questions? or