December 2002:
We are in the process of upgrading our RealServer. You may have to upgrade your RealPlayer to the "RealOne Player" in order to access the sample files mentioned in this and related documents. There is still a truly free RealOne player, but you need to look for it carefully and it takes several clicks to get to the actual download from the Real home page. Currently, the first link to click from there is in the upper right corner -- very easy to overlook.

Manfred Kuechler
Hunter College
(Generated: October 22, 1999; last page update: November 8, 1999)

Hunter live!

Explorations into delivery of live video via the web

See the parent page for more information on Real® "streaming video" technology and its various uses for instruction.

You have probably accessed this page in anticipation of a live video feed. If you have been here before, jump ahead to scheduled programs. However, if this is your first visit or if you are experiencing difficulties, you may want to read the following information.

What hardware and software you need

Obviously, you have a web browser installed (otherwise you would not be here). In addition to a web browser (Netscape, MS Internet Explorer, Opera, etc.) you need to have the RealPlayer G2 installed. A basic version can be downloaded for free (available for Pentium-class and 604/750 Power PC systems running under Win9x, NT, or Mac OS 8.1 and up). A previous version (5.0) is available for many more CPUs and OS, but video from this page will require the RealPlayer G2 (as of October 1999, the current version is 6.0.6). In addition, you should have a sound card installed -- otherwise you lose the audio part.

No matter how much memory you have and how fast your processor is, handling video streams uses a lot your system resources. To optimize reception:

reboot your system (at least restart Windows) and

do not run other applications while receiving video feed via the Internet

Note, that some broadcasts may not be copyright protected, so that it will be possible for you to record the broadcast to replay it later (just like taping regular TV on a VCR). To do so, you need the RealPlayer G2 Plus which sells for about $30. But -- unlike regular TV -- you do not need extra hardware.

What Internet connection you need

Obviously, the faster, the better. But most programs will be in "surestream" format, i.e., the server decides what you can handle given your regular modem speed and the current Internet traffic (more details on factors determining speed). At minimum, you need a 28.8K modem connection.

What can go wrong

First of all, keep in mind that this live programming; the link will work only during scheduled program times (see schedule), otherwise RealPlayer will produce a (slightly misleading) error message. If you want to check video contents at other times, many video clips on demand are available from the parent page and a special page about the (undergraduate) 1999 Hunter Commencement.
Second, there is always the chance of Internet (or, within the college, backbone) congestions which may significantly reduce the quality of the broadcast (frozen frames) or halt it altogether.
Third, we may encounter difficulties in either producing the video or transferring it to the RealServer -- after all, these are explorations so don't expect professional perfection (yet).
Fourth, the license for our Basic RealServer allows a limited number of simultaneous connections only; so it's first come, first served for hopefully up to 40 viewers. However, a second restriction lies in the hardware base (available memory) for the Real server. Beyond 40, but possibly earlier, the server may simply run out of memory -- especially when most connections are from within Hunter (and the "surestream" technology determines that video of higher quality can be served thus consuming more memory per stream/user).
Fifth, your local station is not up to the task; did you reboot and did you shut down other applications before trying to connect? You can also bypass the web browser (Netscape), start the RealPlayer directly, and enter the following address when prompted after selecting "file"/"open location": rtsp://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu:554/encoder/live.rm

Scheduled live video programs

The schedule below shows "public" (no access restrictions) broadcasts only . Anyone on the Internet can access these broadcasts. In addition, there will be "closed circuit" broadcasts intended for students in a particular course or members of a specific group only. Such broadcast times will be communicated by other means.

Also, for now, we will mostly serve taped contents (think about what is really live on TV). But we will try some actual live broadcasts (people talking in the front of a camera) as well. Taped contents can come via a "simulated live transfer" (where encoded materials is already stored on the server) and as "tape delayed live" where the tape in encoded on a remote station (like my office), transferred to the server, and simultaneously broadcast to the viewers. Obviously, the first kind eliminates one possible source of problems and delays and should -- on average -- render better quality. Such broadcasts are marked as G2SLTA in the comments column below.

Program Schedule (ending times are approximate)

Date Time Title Comments

Sunday, October 24, 1999 9:30-11:00 Undergraduate Commencement: selected clips G2SLTA

Monday, October 25, 1999 9:30-11:00 Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed

Monday, October 25, 1999 7:30-9:00 Undergraduate Commencement: selected clips G2SLTA

Tuesday, October 26, 1999 5:15-6:45 Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed

Tuesday, November 2, 1999 7:20-9:20 Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed

GO LIVE

No live broadcast in progress right now? Check some of our "video-on-demand" clips instead (hardware and software needed):

Welcome to Hunter by President David A. Caputo

Scenes from the 1999 Hunter Commencement (the first ever in Central Park)

Badillo/Caputo interview (first aired on CUNY-TV): part 1 (focus on teacher ed) , part 2 (focus on remediation)

Scenes from the 1998 German Elections campaign

More to come.

What you can do to help

As these are explorations, it would be of great value to receive reports on the reception (both good and bad). If it is not too much of a burden, send me a brief message about your viewing experience. Please, include some information about your hardware (CPU, memory; like "Pentium 5-60 with 16MB"), your browser (like "Netscape 4.0"), and your Internet connection (like "ATT, 56K").

Program Schedule (ending times are approximate)
Date	Time	Title	Comments
Sunday, October 24, 1999	9:30-11:00	Undergraduate Commencement: selected clips	G2SLTA
Monday, October 25, 1999	9:30-11:00	Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed
Monday, October 25, 1999	7:30-9:00	Undergraduate Commencement: selected clips	G2SLTA
Tuesday, October 26, 1999	5:15-6:45	Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed
Tuesday, November 2, 1999	7:20-9:20	Graduate Commencement 1999 (June 2); continuous feed
GO LIVE
No live broadcast in progress right now? Check some of our "video-on-demand" clips instead (hardware and software needed): Welcome to Hunter by President David A. Caputo Scenes from the 1999 Hunter Commencement (the first ever in Central Park) Badillo/Caputo interview (first aired on CUNY-TV): part 1 (focus on teacher ed) , part 2 (focus on remediation) Scenes from the 1998 German Elections campaign More to come.