[169] in Resnet-Forum
TeleVU
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (F. Clark Williams, jr.)
Wed Feb 23 19:14:17 1994
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 17:50:37 -0600 (CST)
From: williafc@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu (F. Clark Williams, jr.)
To: resnet-forum@MIT.EDU
>Query to Dan Updegrove at Penn: Could you please tell us more about your
>Resnet TV service? Is it a "free" service or are students charged for it?
>What programming is Penn providing, in addition to the movie channel?
>Regarding the movie channel (fascinating idea), who runs it and how is it
>managed? What kinds of film are you showing and who picks the films?
>Where do the films come from and how expensive a service has it been (I
>assume you have to purchase public performance rights to what you show?)?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Diane Balestri
>Manager, Instructional and Media Services
Since the subject is TV and I have made little contribution to the data
network discussion (I am keeping all the messages for future reference;
they will be a great help), allow me to describe TeleVU here at Vanderbilt.
At present, we capture video signals off air from local stations and from a
satellite for "cable" stattions. We rebroadcast the signals over the same
broadband backbone that we use for data. This limits the number of stations
we can have and the frequencies we can use. As soon as we move data to
fiber, our limitations will be fewer.
We offer 5 local stations, 7 cable stations, a bulletin board, a student
program channel (content supervised by the same group that supervises the
student newspaper), SCOLA, and an academic channel for canned programs (PBS
Macbeth, e.g.). We contract with a program jobber in CT for the cable
offerings. We own the equipment and maintain service contracts on it.
Most rooms have a cable tap, and we are adding others. Many rooms have
data wires (thin coaxle or twosted pair) but a widespread plan for
installation of data services has not yet been approved, though one is
pending.
We are having discussions with Viacom about its being our program provider.
They would put their signal at our headend, and we would distribute the
channels we select. We pay not for every room that has a tap, but for
about 60% of the rooms with taps. This figure is reestimated occasionally.
Does any of this help?
-- F. Clark Williams, jr.
Vanderbilt University
williafc@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
615/322-7120
