HomeMy Public PortalAboutCable Television Advisory -- 2007-02-07 Minutes~.
Minutes of the meeting of the Brewster Cable TV Advisory Committee scheduled for 7:00 pm on
Wednesday 7 February 2007.
The meeting is called to order at 7:10 pm on Wednesday 7 February 2007 by Larry Greeley.
Members present at this time are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Walter Powers
Ellie Smith
There are 10 persons present in the audience area:
Luanne Bowen (from Provincetown in re CTV matters)
Tom Cole (from Wellfleet in re CTV matters)
Terry Duenas (from Cape Cod Community Media Center [CCCMC] in Yarmouth)
Brian Eastman (from Eastham in re CTV matters)
Jim Foley (from Brewster Boazd of Selectmen)
John Hoskinson (from Orleans in re CTV matters)
Dennis Klass (from Truro in re CTV matters)
Buddy Perkel (from Truro in re CTV matters)
Jim Tvrdik (providing services to Orleans related to the Orleans government channel)
Daniell Krawczyk (Princeton Server Group)
At Larry's request Walter presents a verbal preliminary report on Brewster agencies that indicate interest in
using the Brewster government channel. He has identified 13 possible such users and the rationale for such
use in each case.
Norman Adams distributes copies of the draft minutes of the meeting of Wednesday 3 January 2007.
A motion is made by Ellie Smith and seconded by Walter Powers to accept the minutes of the meeting of
Wednesday 3 January 2007 as presented. The vote to accept is unanimous.
At this point Larry introduces Daniell Krawczyk to the board members and to the other 9 members of the
audience. Larry says that Daniell is here representing the Princeton Server Group which is a maker of
systems (hazdwaze plus software) for implementing the production of a community access channel such as
a town government channel. He then turns the floor over to Daniell who gives a presentation on the
Princeton Server Group and those of its products which might be of interest to his audience.
Daniell starts by describing his own experience in community access TV. He used to work at Public
Access in Lowell MA. He has been personally involved in many aspects of the operations including
"digital bicycling" ie distributing copies of programs from his public access center to other public access
centers in the Boston area by transmission of the material over the internet.
Daniell is very enthusiastic about the Princeton Server Group, both their products and their rapid
incorporation of enhancements requested by customers. The type of product which he will discuss is a
"PEG-TV Digital Video Broadcast Server" which they also describe as a "TV Station-In-A-Box".
The particular Princeton Server Group product which he thinks would be of interest to this audience is
their model "B-1400". This is arack-mounted server of one standard unit of height (1 5/16 inches). It has
3 hazd drives each of which can be hot-swapped for a replacement unit in case of failure of a drive in the
server. The bandwidth of the output is sufficient to drive 4 TV channels. The server is Linux-based which
means that it can run continuously for a year or longer, unlike Windows-based servers which cannot run
continuously for such long periods. Furthermore there is a lot of software available for Linux-based
servers.
Technical support can be provided over the Internet.
A recent Princeton Server Group quote for a slightly more capable version of a similar unit was for
$6,950.00. That quote also included two additional hardware items for a grand total for all three items of
$9194.00.
Jim Foley asks if there could be a discount for a group purchase of the several units which might be
needed for the six towns, and likewise if there could be a discount for a group purchase of the maintenance
and support. Daniell says that the Princeton Server Group has recently signed an agreement with the GSA
(ie the federal agency) to provide the GSA with a moderate discount with the proviso that no other
purchaser may receive a larger discount. So the Princeton Server Group can do some discounting, and is
willing to discuss discounts, but there is a definite limit on the amount of any such discount.
There is some discussion from the audience concerning various other details and possibilities.
Daniell says that at present the server deals only with MPEG-2 TV files although there are advantages to
MPEG-4 TV files. However in practice MPEG-2 TV files are well enough specified so that virtually any
MPEG-2 TV file from whatever source will work properly whereas for MPEG-4 TV files at present there
is enough variation in such files from different sources that a significant fraction just do not play correctly.
He expects that in the future MPEG-4 TV will gradually become more universally standardized and when
that happens use of MPEG-4 TV files may well become the standard.
Someone mentions the possibility of using point-to-point wireless connections to obviate some or all of the
need to use Comcast fiber which is very expensive. Someone remarks that in this regard "Open Cape" is
planning for wireless coverage for the whole of Cape Cod.
Daniell says that at present anyone can post even fairly long videos on "Google Video" which are then
accessible by anyone. This procedure in effect would use Google's enormous server capacity to provide on
demand access to town videos such as meetings.
He winds up his presentation at 8:58 pm.
Larry then deals with a couple of brief items of board business of little if any interest to the audience
which is on its feet and moving around. First he hands around the CTVAC copy of a letter from Comcast
sent to the Brewster Board of Selectmen, with a copy to the Cable Advisory Board, a copy to the
Superintendent of Schools, and a copy to the Chief of Police. This letter concerns service issues and
emergency procedures. Second he mentions that he called Mary O'Keeffe in regard to replacement of
equipment. He obtained no useful result by this call.
The next meeting of the Brewster CTVAC is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Wednesday 7 March 2007. (This is
the regular time for the next meeting ie at 7:00 pm on the first Wednesday of the next month.)
The meeting seems to be out of other business to be taken up tonight, Walter Powers makes a motion to
adjourn. It is seconded by Ellie Smith and is passed unanimously. The meeting is adjourned at 9:03 pm.
Submitted by Norman Adams, Clerk, Brewster CTVAC £~ add LOS
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