[AG-TECH] broadcast quality video

[Christoph Willing]

Just supporting Chris Osland's assertion about the H261 being more of an
issue than the cameras themselves. We have 2 BetacamSP cameras available
but, after passing through vic, they look no better than $200 security
cameras.

What does work is RPTtv, described at the AG retreat earlier this year
(http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/~delco/rtptv/). We have 2 labs (each with an
AG node) separated by about 5km but connected with gigabit ethernet. We
have full PAL video streaming from one AG node to the other and the
quality is just astonishing compared with normal vic streams. Quite a
bit more bandwidth as well of course.

chris


On Fri, 2002-11-01 at 21:00, Osland, CD (Chris) wrote:
> There shouldn't be any real problem as long as the cameras have
> composite or S-Video (Y-C) connections for video out.  I wouldn't
> expect any visible improvement in image quality compared with
> less expensive cameras (say down to the Sony xxx30/31/100 type)
> because the H.261 QCIF encoding itself reduces quality so much that
> the original quality is basically lost.  Once mangled by H.261, I
> can't say I can tell the difference between a composite feed from
> camera to capture card, or a Y-C feed from the same camera.
> 
> There is a different question which is how to get broadcast quality
> video across the AG, and that has been discussed elsewhere.  From
> cameras, that implies having capture cards that will take component
> (YUV or YIQ) input and encoding schemes that preserve a decent
> fraction of the original quality - composite, Y-C and component
> feeds have roughly 5 MHz, 8 MHz and 15 MHz bandwidth respectively.
> 
> Of course, the alternative is to use digital cameras and (for instance)
> FireWire, and so stay digital all the way ...
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Chris
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________
> Chris Osland                         Office tel: +44 (0) 1235 446565
> Digital Media and Access Grid      Medialab tel: +44 (0) 1235 446459
> BIT Department             Access Grid room tel: +44 (0) 1235 445666
> e-mail:   C.D.Osland at rl.ac.uk               Fax: +44 (0) 1235 445597
>
[]
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Hepburn [mailto:eric at mail.aces.utexas.edu]
> Sent: 31 October 2002 16:45
> To: Jonathan C. Humfrey
> Cc: ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov
> Subject: RE: [AG-TECH] broadcast quality video
> 
> 
> We are using the following broadcast quality cameras in our facility:
> CCU: Panasonic WVE590
> Camera: Panasonic AWE 300
> We are in the process of setting up an AG-PIG machine using these cameras
> (by feeding an S-Video feed from the cameras to the Osprey Capture cards
> through a video switcher).  We should have the installation completed within
> the next week.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  If you'd like to get a
> feel for our facility in general you can check out our website at
> http://www.aces.utexas.edu
> The cameras and video switching gear was originally installed for
> videoconferencing, we are basically adding the AG-PIG system as an
> alternative CODEC into our existing AV infrastructure, giving us AG access
> in our 5 videoconference capable rooms.
> 
> Eric
> 
> PS  We are also using Microsoft's experimental ConferenceXP software on the
> same system with the Osprey capture cards, so far so good...
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Eric Hepburn
> Coordinator, Network Services
> A.C.E.S. IT Group		
> Applied Computational Engineering & Sciences Bldg.
> The University of Texas at Austin
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Office: ACES 4.142
> Ph: (512) 232-9089		Fax: (512) 232-9084
> Mobile: (512) 413-9380
> Email: eric at mail.aces.utexas.edu 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jonathan C. Humfrey [mailto:jch at cs.ucsb.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 3:58 PM
> To: ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov
> Subject: [AG-TECH] broadcast quality video
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does anyone have experience using broadcast quality cameras rather then 
> the Sony DVIs?  We have a multi-use room and are looking to be able to 
> produce a broadcast quality video from presentations in the room as well 
> as participating in AG.
> 
> Thanks,
> Jonathan Humfrey

-- 
Chris Willing                      Telephone   (61-2) 9351 3005
VisLab, A28                        Facsimile   (61-2) 9351 1880
University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia                http://www.vislab.usyd.edu.au