Democaster

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Quick Start

• Democaster Prototype
  • Example webcast - audio with images
  • Example Symposium webcast - webcast via wi-fi
• Democaster next steps - Phase 2 development through March 2006

Democaster Prototype Phase 1 Specification

We've made a strategic choice - go for high quality at the low end. You can easily get an idea of the "enhanced" high-end video options by comparing webcasting format enhancement options.

A key pressure facing UK local governments and others is how to bring costs in line with the perceived benefits of webcasting. You can either improve the benefits or reduce the costs.

With our small demonstration budget, are building something that "works" and is extremely low-cost and easy to use.

We are integrating open source tools to the greatest extent possible. We are using Linux for the webcasting server and browser-based applet tools for remote audio and content submissions that we expect users to run primarily from laptops running Windows XP. If there are future versions, telephone input options will be explored.

If you would like to get involved, please join our Webcasting CoP or e-mail Steven Clift: clift@publicus.net

We are also gathering "webcasting-tech" links that will inform our prototype choices: http://del.icio.us/tag/webcasting-tech

Our initial detailed notes:

Democaster

The general idea is to allow small government organizations and community groups to webcast live and recorded "enhanced" event audio at a low-cost. We assume the audience for each event is quite small - the dozens, perhaps hundreds but not thousands of listeners. From public meetings to telephone-input daily updates from the Mayor to community events and conference sessions, Democaster will demonstrate a highly accessible means of producing webcast content.

Method one - Use a laptop/desktop, connect the microphone system into the line-in and use a browser-based production event console applet tied to a remote webcasting server to input information about the meeting, agenda items and time stamps along with links to meeting documents elsewhere on the web. Sound quality will be an important issue.

A bonus feature would include the ability to grab static webcam images from one or more webcams hooked to the in-room computer. If possible, images from two or three appropriately positioned webcams facing the same general direction could be stitched into a more panoramic view of the room. The images would refresh with the live and archived audio stream. Other ideas include an ability to toggle pre-load speaker photos or share jpegs of power point slides loaded to the server before the meeting via the event console.

Method two - For really small meetings where those present are gathered around a table in a room without a direct Internet connection, a high quality speaker phone or various audio equipment options could connect the sound system to a telephone. The meeting host would have an account on our server, call-in, punch in a pin number and have their meeting streamed live and/or recorded. Telephone options need to leverage existing open source tools to improve sound quality.

Additional ideas

Podcasting - Allow folks to call into the site and leave shorter voice messages like you see with some commercial services that would apply podcasting methods. You could also offer any meeting as a podcast assuming that you really scrunched down the file because it is just voice. To be honest, most people won't be interested in listening to last night's city council meeting on their mp3 player. If this can be provided at a low cost, the "audience" at a meeting might double from 10 to 20 citizens.

Player - We are interested applet-based Ogg Vorbis and MP3 player options that would connect the public on multiple platforms to the basic content entered via the production console applet as well as present any webcam images. The big buck services integrate video, power point, chat, etc., but we are not aiming for the high-end market. Alternatively, we are open to a simple refreshing HTML page with event images and meeting related links which encourage people to use their own media player. Most players will stream MP3 and more and more support the non-proprietary Ogg Vorbis format.

Media content management - Whether it is event console or telephone submitted content, we are interested in applications which will work with Linux-based webcast servers at this point. We envision two service options - one using a central site where multiple content providers use a web-based content management interface to tailor the presentation of their content and the second where using our open source recipe and any additional code we release, an organization would host their own "Democaster." We are open to other suggestions and have not ruled out "free" or inexpensive but non-open source streaming servers.

Interactive options - The prototype needs to be very simple so integrating chat or many-to-many forums is beyond its scope. However the ability to ask a text question or share a comment in real-time and have it arrive via the event console is desirable. Another feature could include simple audience polling in real-time or via the archived recording.

Additional notes

Some of this repeats the content above ... integration required.

1. Use Linux and open source software where possible to gather and serve audio, webcam images, and allow content providers to enhanced their webcasts with photos, jpegs of power point slides, and links to meeting documents on the web. Marking audio with agenda item start points will be important so people can fast-forward to the part want to hear.

2. Make the audio webcast available in non-proprietary formats like Ogg Vorbis as well as the more open licensed MP3 format (currently need $100,000 US in revenue to require payment to MP3 standard owner). The goal is to keep costs down by avoiding unneccessary royalty costs. Most major media players support MP3 and Ogg Vorbis is on the rise and should be accessible with a Java-applet player we could customize and integrate into the web page about a meeting.

3. Make the "enhanced" webcast available via a basic console/player (Viewer Console). This may be HTML, Java-based, or potentially a Flash player due to the wide spread use of Flash across all platforms (not open source but highly accessible and free for users). This view would integrate the webcam views, audio, and upload images and document links in one space.

4. Explore "Browser-based" audio and webcam image capture on the capture side (Event Console). Essentially any meeting room with a 128KB Internet connection, computer, and audio line-in and microphones could be used to send the content to a prototype server (likely using Linux-based Icecast). We will use a laptop (or desktop) with an attached "webcam" tree to demonstrate and test the system. We envision refreshing webcam images gathered by up to 6 webcams that cover the room and can be adjusted. Links to meeting documents will be made via this console by staff as well.

5. Explore telephone-based meeting audio capture. Using high quality conference call equipment and/or a meeting room sound system with telephone line bridge we will adapt existing open source software to allow a meeting organizer to call into the server and have the audio enhanced and made available on the Internet. Sites using the system would create an account via the web before a meeting and reply to voice prompts via the telephone to sort the file into the right directory. This service would radically lower the cost of entry for webcasting small public meetings and perhaps bring down the cost of more advanced services. Telephone-based webcasts would not have images although a future idea might allow someone to upload digital photos into the archive.

Related resources and articles:

QuickCam® Pro 4000 - Webcam for possible use with Democaster

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