Digital Asset Management

• DigitalWell™
  DigitalWell™ is a grid-enabled asset management system that provides an easy way to acquire, collect, classify, store and deliver large collections of digital media over IP-based networks.

• File-Based Distribution Environment
  To improve workflow and overall efficiency, ResearchChannel will move to a file-based distribution environment in 2008.

Video Distribution

ResearchChannel’s video content distribution efforts encompass a broad range of bandwidths, capabilities and uses. Video distribution includes, for example, one-way transport of live, moving images and sound as well as recorded television content. The former might be used to enable observation of natural or experimental phenomena, and the latter could be a lecture or panel discussion, just to give two examples. Video distribution can also be real-time, two-way video and audio interaction between colleagues in two or more locations. The quality of these delivery methods extends from small, limited-bandwidth images for wireless handheld devices, to high-definition video and stereo audio for scientific data acquisition to low-latency, high-quality video for scholarly collaborations.

The project descriptions below highlight specific examples of activities ResearchChannel, its participants and collaborators, have undertaken to extend the range and quality of video distribution technologies.

• iHDTV™
  One of ResearchChannnel’s leading-edge efforts is to make high-definition-quality resources more widely available over the Internet. The goal is to deliver the most realistic images possible to desktops and create opportunities for new learning environments. To achieve this, ResearchChannel is working on solutions for delivering broadcast-quality HD video at lower bitrates and at a lower cost. (more)

• Desktop Clients for Streaming and Conferencing
  ResearchChannel — often working through the ResearchChannel Internet2 Working Group and its subgroup, the Big Video Project Subgroup — is investigating alternate ways of displaying on computer monitors high-definition video and standard-definition video that has been transported over IP networks. These efforts are often based on commercial or freely available applications such as Windows Media, ConferenceXP, QuickTime, DVTS, VideoLAN, and VideoCharger. Each of these players has useful qualities and capabilities, as well as configuration and operation challenges.
  
  As a distributor of video content over the Internet, ResearchChannel engages in ongoing collaborative efforts to facilitate development and deployment of improved and leading-edge tools for computer-based media viewing. The targets of these efforts are today’s standard-definition video programming as well as high-quality, high-definition and high-bandwidth video. (more)

• Persistent HD Video Links
  In cooperation with several international research sites, ResearchChannel is outfitting a space on the University of Washington campus for high-quality HD videoconferencing. This videoconferencing and global collaboration tool stems from ResearchChannel’s work in this area and will promote international collaborations among scholars and researchers by being available for conferences anytime.

• Streaming RC to Portable Devices
  As lower-bandwidth, portable devices continue to increase in popularity, the demand for streamed video on these devces increases as well. ResearchChannel is responding to this demand by developing a custom streams specifically for use on portable devices. Click here for examples of media from ResearchChannel that has been optimized for playback on handheld devices.

• Podcasting
  A project is under way to develop podcasts of ReseachChannel programming.