Existing Video Infrastructure   

OVERVIEW

The university and its various academic, research, and service units have made significant investments in video facilities, equipment and proprietary networks, and are providing considerable staff-hours to operate the existing video systems. This significant investment continues to increase as additional colleges, schools, and departments become engaged in video-related academic support projects for the first time. Many campus units are currently incorporating the use of video segments into their activities, but there are significant barriers to the widespread use of this media, and specifically to any collaborative efforts between university organizations. Permanent connectivity and interoperability between the eleven video systems does not exist, and the process to provide this greatly needed service is complex, time consuming, and costly. 

Clearly, the university should plan for the development of a digital video system that will enhance the educational process and improve productivity, while accommodating existing analog systems until such time as they could be converted to a digital format. Representative examples of video applications that are currently in use at UF are included in this report. The difficulties encountered with connectivity and interoperability between these existing systems are described, and recommendations providing solutions to these difficulties are provided. If implemented, the digital video solutions recommended would have a significant impact on the availability and uniformity of video related services, and provide the following major benefits: high quality point-to-point or multipoint videoconferencing capability between any campus location (including classrooms) via a transportable unit or desktop PC with network access; legacy videoconferencing sites would have seamless connectivity and interoperability with campus location through gateway services; all campus locations would have access to a virtual digital video library made up of media servers across campus; and satellite and commercial TV programming could be accessed from any university location.

CAMPUS VIDEO INVENTORY

The purpose of the VAC-sponsored inventory was to determine the number of existing video-related facilities and/or capabilities on campus in the following categories: portable (system); auditorium; classroom; (television) studio; conference room; or other. The survey instrument was sent to 16 university academic and service units representing the colleges and schools, either known or thought to be, engaged in video activities for teaching, research, or service. 

The data from nine units has been received to-date, and the results are summarized as follows: The initial inventory findings indicate that there are a total of 148 video capable facilities or systems; and of these, 31 (20.9%) facilities/systems are capable of two-way video communication. A second effort will be made to contact those units that have not yet responded, and to possibly identify additional UF organizations that are engaged in video activities, but are unknown to the VAC. Periodic surveys will be conducted in order to capture the expected expansion of campus video activities. The data will then be updated, re-tabulated, and the summary will be revised. This information will be extremely useful to the VAC and other university planning committees. 

The eleven existing video systems were developed independently and at different times, and were often equipped with technical components from different manufacturers thereby increasing the barriers to effective connectivity and interoperability. Emerging technologies that must be considered include the growth of wireless technology, and fully switched optical networks, and the subject of future system growth must also be addressed. 

*Not all campus units have responded to the survey as of the date of this report.



The following discussion provides a summary of the existing video systems and technology, and the challenges regarding system connectivity and interoperability. Specific examples of the methods that are currently being used to interconnect these facilities are presented, the difficulties encountered in attempting to provide interoperability between two or more of the video systems are described, and technology-based solutions are recommended.

FACILITY/SYSTEM CONNECTIVITY AND INTEROPERABILITY

The existing level of video connectivity between university on-campus and off-campus locations is inadequate. There are currently eleven separate video systems on campus, each with its own infrastructure and support staff. The process required to provide connectivity and interoperability between the eleven systems is complex, time consuming, and costly. 

This decentralization and lack of connectivity and interoperability has an adverse impact upon the ability of the university's academic, research, and service units to share critical and expensive resources, and to join in collaborative activities. Existing video content within the various academic units includes: live instruction, video conferencing, streaming video, satellite broadcasting, commercial television cable channels and others. 

There are currently two technical processes designed to connect two or more of the eleven individual video systems, and both are complex and unwieldy. The first method is to convert the program format of one system, and then transfer it to the other system. The second method is to build additional infrastructure at the requester's expense. Both approaches require central coordination and support. There are many areas that are served by only one system, namely, the campus data network. However, this system carries only the smallest fraction of the video programming compared to what is carried by the other video systems.

Systems	Operators	Current Access
Cable Television (5)	Campus Video Service	43 Buildings (limited access)
	College of Business	Bryan(1); Matherly (6); Stuzin(2)
	Cox Cable	"UAA; Graduate and Family Student Housing; Tigert, Journalism; and UF HSC"
	UF Health Science Center	UF HSC
	University Housing	Single Student Housing; UPD; and J. Wayne Reitz Union
Video Over Fiber (3)	Campus Video Service	Norman (3); McCarty (2); Gym (1); UF HSC; UF Auditorium (1); Fifield (3); Microbiology (1); WLUF (1); WUFT (1); Business (1)
	College of Engineering	OEEP (2)
	UF Health Science Center	UF HSC; UFBI; CSE
Satellite (1)	Commercial Provider	News & Public Affairs (uplink); IFAS; Campus Video Service; Journalism; Housing
Videoconferencing OverTelephone Lines (1)	Commercial Provider	Physics; OEEP; UF HSC; Nursing
Data Network (1)	Network Services DHNet HealthNet, Internet/Internet2	UF Single Student Housing UF HSC International