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VOD for teaching at Princeton. Digitized Film/Video Service. History. Purchased VOD server (Alex Informatique) in 1998, service available in 1999, $430K NJ Grant. Wintel Architecture, proprietary file system. MPEG1/2 encoding (1.5 to 5 mbit/second).
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VOD for teaching at Princeton Digitized Film/Video Service CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
History • Purchased VOD server (Alex Informatique) in 1998, service available in 1999, $430K NJ Grant. • Wintel Architecture, proprietary file system. • MPEG1/2 encoding (1.5 to 5 mbit/second). • Only accessible in specially equipped clusters (policy and bandwidth restriction). • 10 courses, 50 films first year (Fall, 2000). • Moved to RealMedia on Dell in 2003 (4/2/03). • RealMedia encoding at 1.5 mbit/second (MPEG/1). • Available in all classrooms, all clusters, not dorm rooms. CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Why offer VOD for teaching? • Film and Video are dominant communications medium of 20th century, yet: • Barely used in teaching: • Expensive (35 mm) • Cumbersome, inconvenient (scheduled showings) • No ability to do a “close viewing” of material. • Imagine teaching Shakespeare course where only exposure to a play is from a staging: no “text” to work with, quote, etc. • Digitizing allows for “close reading” of the “text”. • Students “see” things they couldn’t see before. CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Current System • Helix Universal Internet Server, Version 9.0.5, Max Client Connections 100 • Dell PowerEdge 6650 • 4 Pentium Xeon 2.0 GHz processors • 2 GB RAM • 1 TB storage (holds 500-1000 films) • Films are about 0.5-2.0 gig depending on length (1 Gig/hour) • Windows 2000 Advanced Server CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Process • Faculty member identifies film or tv or video needed. • Library purchases material (if not already owned), or faculty donates. • Material digitized at LRC. • Link added to Bb web site. • Link removed at end of semester (made inactive). CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Growth in Usage CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Success Factors • VERY, VERY, VERY easy to use. • Integrate with CMS (put links in yourself). • Bookmarks! • Get faculty to understand concept of digitized film (music, images, anything): • Not tied to time/place. • Multiple simultaneous viewing, from different points. • Makes possible a CLOSE READING of film! CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Samples • Whole films used in broad spectrum of disciplines: history, english, psychology, etc. • Blade Runner • Henry V (1:29:47) • Parts of films, TV shows, used in topically focussed courses • Need “virtual clip” (bookmark) support. • Introduction to the Study of Gender(WOM201_S2005) CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Staying out of Trouble • Rules • Only students enrolled in class. • Only during semester. • Only in clusters or classrooms. • Not in dormrooms. • Not at home. • Streamed (not downloadable). • Is this Fair Use? • YES (well, “nice” use anyway). CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005
Future • Policy • Negotiated license rights (maybe with CDigix or Ruckus). • Viewable in dorm rooms. • Viewable between semesters (for “academic” use, e.g., writing thesis, research). • Technology • MPEG/4??? (The Holy Grail of video encoding) • Clip-maker CSG Penn State, May 11, 2005