[AG-TECH] High res video streams, in AG VIC session

[Osland, CD (Chris)]

Hi all,

We're interested in sending and receiving video streams, preferably
as part of a regular AG VIC session, that run at higher than the
AG default VIC resolution (388x288 or somesuch?).  We would be
interested in 640x480, 768x576 and 1024x768.

[BTW Some months ago one of the UK sites unknowingly switched to a
different resolution on the fly; this has the spectacular effect
of killing the display machines on all nodes in the VV.]

We have used VNC many times for application sharing and that is
fine as far as it goes, but it is not really designed for optimal
encoding of live video streams.

We do realize that (spatial resolution) x (frame rate) = (higher
bitrate) [modified according to encoding scheme] - we're not trying
to get something for nothing!

We naturally have cameras running at standard (PAL in our case)
resolution, and also have a document camera that is 1024x768
XGA native.  I have details of the Datapath videoRGB-PRO
capture cards from Derby (UK).  I imagine that the Hauppage
video capture cards we have, or others such as Osprey, would
allow us to get 768x576 into the machines.  We can probably
provide a twin processor AMD 2200+ machine for the encoding.

I guess my questions therefore boil down to the following:

1.  Is anyone currently using higher resolution already with
whom we could test our ability to receive?  Is this using
a standard VIC or a modified one, either to send or to
receive?

2.  Is anyone else interested in taking part in such experiments,
and if so, what is you main interest - live video, application
sharing, ...?  Also, what is you area of expertise?

3.  Has anyone a concise idea of the current state of VIC and
OpenMASH in this area?  I don't know what has already been
written or what remains to be done.

By way of background, my software development days are behind
me (although others here at RAL might just be interested), so
I'm really looking for things that are ready to test, or for
others who know what might need to be done.  I'd be most useful
on the hardware side.

Any thoughts?

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

CLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Bldg. R18)
Chilton, DIDCOT, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK

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