V I S I O N (Video Instructional Systems Integrated for Open Networking)
Technology (Last updated:3/17/2000) Description Standards & Formats Familiar Names Typical Applications Medium Carrier Quality Reliability Programming Audience Start Up Cost Node Cost Usage Cost Operational Cost Issues Comments UF Inventory
ï Cable TV Analog 1/Way Programming modulated onto standard TV channels. NTSC Cox, TCI, BellSouth Entertainment, Campus TeleVideo News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction, Broadcast Coax, SM Fiber, Satellite (see satellite info below) UF or Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled, On Demand, Pay-Per-View City, Campus, Building Very High Low None to Low Moderate Infrastructure, Location, Programming Costs Used by Business, Journalism, Housing, JWRU, Advising, Engineering, UAA OIR/CIRCA, Housing, Cox, Journalism
2/Way Programming modulated onto standard TV channels with Two-Way capability. NTSC TCI, Scientific Atlanta Videoconferencing, News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction, Broadcast Coax, SM Fiber UF or Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled, On Demand, Pay-Per-View City, Campus, Building Very High Low to Moderate None to Low Moderate to High Infrastructure, Location, Programming Costs, Maintenance, Privacy Primarily used in Distance Learning environments -
Digital 1/Way Digitized programming sent to Set-Top Boxes or Digital-Ready TVs. NTSC, OpenCable, 64-QAM, 256-QAM, MPEG-2 COX, TCI, General Instrument, Scientific Atlanta News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction, Broadcast Coax, SM Fiber UF or Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled, On Demand, Pay-Per-View City, Campus, Building Very High Low to Moderate None to Low Moderate Infrastructure, Location, Programming Costs Offers increased channel capacity OIR/CIRCA for COX, WUFT
2/Way Digitized programming sent to Set-Top Boxes or Digital-Ready TVs with Two-Way capability. NTSC, OpenCable, 64-QAM, 256-QAM, MPEG-2, DOCSIS COX, TCI, General Instrument, Scientific Atlanta Telephony, Internet, Videoconferencing, News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction, Broadcast Coax, SM Fiber UF or Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled, On Demand, Pay-Per-View City, Campus, Building Very High Low to Moderate None to Low Moderate to High Infrastructure, Location, Programming Costs, Maintenance, Privacy Return path used for Internet, Telephone Service and On-Demand requests -
ï H.320 Dedicated Videoconferencing over dedicated lines with monthly charges.   PictureTel, Polycom, Tandburg, Vtel, Sony Videoconferencing, Whiteboard, Application Sharing Twisted Pair Phone Line Public Telephone Network Moderate to High High Live, Scheduled State Backbone, Point to Point High Moderate to High None Moderate Location   HSC, IFAS, OEEP
Switched Desktop Videoconferencing over dial-up lines with long distance charges.   PictureTel, Polycom, Tandburg, Vtel, Sony, Intel Videoconferencing, Whiteboard, Application Sharing Twisted Pair Phone Line Public Telephone Network Moderate to High Moderate to High Scheduled, On-Demand World High Moderate to High Low to Very High (Per Minute) Low to Moderate Location   HSC
Room Videoconferencing over dial-up lines with long distance charges.   PictureTel, Polycom, Tandburg, Vtel, Sony Videoconferencing, Whiteboard, Application Sharing Twisted Pair Phone Line Public Telephone Network Moderate to High Moderate to High Scheduled, On-Demand World High Moderate to High Low to Very High (Per Minute) Low to Moderate Location   OEEP, HSC, UFBI, Physics
H.320 MCU Multipoint Control Unit to enable 3 or more participants to Videoconferencing over T1 or ISDN.   Lucent, RadVision, Accord Videoconferencing Twisted Pair Phone Line Public Telephone Network N/A Moderate Scheduled World High to Very High N/A None if owned Low Transcoding, Continuous Presence   HSC
ï 320/323 Gateway Allows Videoconferencing directly between H.320 and H.323 by transcoding. Often built into an MCU. ITU, H.245, Q.931 Datapoint, PictureTel, RADVision Videoconferencing Fiber, Twisted Pair UF or Corporate Ownership Variable Variable Scheduled, On-Demand World Moderate Low to Moderate None to Moderate Moderate Access Control, Management Integration, Emerging Technology - HSC
ï IP Video H.323 Desktop Software based Videoconferencing over the Internet.   Microsoft NetMeeting, CU-SeeMe, DataBeam Videoconferencing, Whiteboard, Application Sharing Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 Low to Moderate High Live, Scheduled, On-Demand World Low Low None Low Directory Can be software only or hardware-assisted IFAS, HSC, Business
Room Hardware based Videoconferencing over the Internet.   Intel, VideoconferencingON QuickConnect, PictureTel 950, VTEL Enterprise Videoconferencing, Whiteboard, Application Sharing Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 Low to High High Live, Scheduled, On-Demand World Low to High Low Cost Camera on Existing PCs None Low Impact on Data Backbone   HSC
Gatekeeper Provides a directory, address translation and access control.   DataBeam, Precept, VideoServer Videoconferencing Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 N/A High N/A World Low to Moderate N/A None Low     IFASIT(ILS only)
MCU Multipoint Control Unit to enable 3 or more participants to Videoconferencing over the Internet.   DataBeam, Precept, VideoServer Videoconferencing Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 N/A Moderate to High Scheduled, On-Demand World Moderate to High N/A None Low Impact on Data Backbone   Library
Proprietary Stand-alone codec that connects directly to the network.   Fore, K-NET, Optivision, IVideoconferencing, VideoconferencingON Instruction, Videoconferencing, Broadcast Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 Moderate to High High Live, Scheduled, On-Demand World Moderate Moderate None Low Impact on Data Backbone   HCS Lab
Streaming / Download Live Encoded live content viewable over the Web.   Real, VideoCharger, QuickTime, Windows Media Instruction, Broadcast Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 Poor to High Moderate to High Live World Low to High Existing PC's with appropriate player None Moderate   Can be synchronized to Power Point presentations OIR/CIRCA, HSC, UFBI
On Demand Encoded prerecorded content viewable over the Web.   Real, VideoCharger, QuickTime, Windows Media Instruction, Public Relations Twisted Pair, Fiber, Wireless Internet, I2 Poor to High depending on bandwidth High Prerecorded, Scheduled, On-Demand World Low to High Low to Moderate None Moderate High use can impact backbone, quality depends on users available bandwidth. Can be synchronized to Power Point presentations Business, HSC, IFAS, OIR/CIRCA, ECE
ï Satellite DBS (Digital) Downlink MPEG 2 digital video sent to users via 18" dish.   DISH, DirecTV, Primestar News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Microwave Corporate Satellite High High Live, Scheduled North and Central America Low Low None Low      
Uplink Commercial uplink facilities.   DISH, DirecTV, Primestar News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Microwave Corporate Satellite High High Scheduled North and Central America Very High Moderate to None None to Moderate Low License Major cost is in feeding signal to uplink site, I2 feed may be possible.  
Commercial (Digital, Analog) Downlink Direct to user via 10' Dish and analog or digital receiver.   General Instrument, Drake News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Microwave Corporate Satellite Very High High Live, Scheduled North and Central America High Moderate None Low Infrastructure, Location   OIR/CIRCA, WUFT, IFAS, HSC, JWRU, TREEO, N&PA
Uplink 12' Dish and high power transmitter; analog or digital.   Florida DOE News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Microwave Corporate Satellite Very High High Scheduled North and Central America Very High Very High Very High High     N&PA Analog
VSAT (Digital, Two-way) 12' Dish and high power transmitter; analog or digital.   Florida DOE News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Microwave Corporate Satellite Very High High Scheduled North and Central America Very High Very High Very High High      
ï Microwave Point to Point Point to point audio and video link.     Studio to transmitter link Microwave Radio Frequency High High Live, Scheduled Single location Very High Very High None Moderate     WUFT,WRUF
ITFS / MMDS One way multi-channel wireless television.   Instructional Television Fixed Service Instructional TV Microwave Institutional Ownership High Moderate to High Live, Scheduled 25 - 30 Miles Very High Low None Moderate     HSC (Jacksonville)
ï Other Video Transmission Methods Video transmitted in other ways. Baseband, SDI, Digital over Fiber, 8-bit, 10-bit Fiber Options, X-10, Tektronics, Optibase, Grass Valley Feed from origination site to broadcast, cable, uplink or other location. Coax, Fiber, Twisted Pair, Wireless UF Infrastructure Very High High Live, Scheduled City, Campus, Building High Moderate to High None Low Compatibility Many different formats, advantages and disadvantages. OIR/CIRCA, IFAS, Business, OEEP,HSC, UFBI, WUFT
ï Broadcast Television Digital Over the air transmission to digital television receivers. 8-VSB, 16_VSB WUFT, WCJB, WOGX News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Radio Frequency Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled 25-50 Miles Very High Low High High   Migration to Digital required by FCC.  
Analog Over the air transmission to standard television sets. NTSC WUFT, WCJB, WOGX News, Sports, Entertainment, Instruction Radio Frequency Corporate Ownership High High Live, Scheduled 25-50 Miles Very High Low High High     WUFT
ï Videotape/DVD/CD Video recording physically distributed to users. VHS, SVHS, U-MATIC, 8mm, Hi8, MiniDV, BetaCam, VHS-C Blockbuster, OEEP Instruction, Entertainment Magnetic Tape, Digital Disk UPS, US Mail High High Scheduled, On-Demand World Moderate Low Low Low     OIR, OEEP, HSC, IFAS, Business, UFBI, Library, DD, CT Continuing Ed.



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Last Updated on 3/17/2000
By John H. Pankow
Email: johnp@ufl.edu