BOARD MEETING DATE: June 3, 2005
AGENDA NO. 26

Status Report on Web Casting District Governing Board Meetings

SYNOPSIS:

In October 2004, the Board approved thirteen enhancements to the Environmental Justice Program. Enhancement II-3 called for staff to assess the feasibility of Web casting monthly District Governing Board Meetings. The assessment includes identification of all cost associated with Web casting of District Governing Board meetings held at headquarters, including additional software and hardware needs beyond what is currently available. Staff has conducted research to determine the resources necessary to perform these tasks, and reviewed the existing District resources that are available. This action is to authorize implementation of Web casting of monthly Governing Board meetings utilizing existing resources, and purchasing additional network transmission resources incrementally, if needed.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, May 13, 2005, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the implementation of Web casting of monthly Governing Board meeting utilizing existing resources, and purchasing additional network transmission incrementally, if needed, according to existing Board Purchasing Policies.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Live Web casting is the ability to deliver a live video signal in real-time to Web-based viewers over the Internet, similar to broadcast television. Video-on-demand is the ability for Web users to view archived material at any time. Often live Web casts are recorded and also made available as video-on-demand files.

The term "streaming" is often used loosely to describe both live Web casting and video-on-demand. Streaming delivers time-dependent media files, such as live broadcasts, using dedicated hardware and special streaming server software. Using a streaming server is the only way to deliver live broadcasts since they are able to ensure that video is delivered in real-time. If the viewer's connection is slow, quality will be sacrificed to ensure timely delivery of media. Streaming media does not remain on the viewer's computer, so content is better protected. But streaming media requires more intensive server resources and server software.

Resource Requirements
In order to produce a Web cast, you must acquire the source video and audio signal, encode the signal, and then transmit it. The following sections will discuss each of the three steps in more detail.

Signal Acquisition
Signal acquisition includes obtaining and digitizing the signal. Analog signals (tape, DVD or live) require real-time video-capture hardware to digitize the video. This hardware is available as a computer add-on card installed in a server. Typically one card is required per simultaneous broadcast. One card costs approximately $500. Standard computer sound cards can be used to acquire and digitize analog audio signals.

Encoding
Encoding is the process of converting the signal into a compressed video and/or audio file. The two most common encoding formats are Windows Media and RealMedia. For live Web casting, encoding is done at the same time as signal acquisition. The signal is encoded or compressed to a size that can be supported by the target viewer’s internet connection. The quality of the encoded signal decreases with the size. Typically three encoded streams are created for viewers with different Internet connection types as shown below.
 

Connection Type	Speed	Media
Slow Dial Up	10 Kbps	audio only
Dial-up	56 Kbps	video and audio
Broadband (i.e. DSL or Cable)	200 Kbps	video and audio

A server with substantial processing capabilities is required to encode in real-time. The software from both of the two most common formats is available for free. The server costs approximately $6,000 and can encode up to three signals simultaneously.

Transmission
A server and streaming software is required to distribute the encoded streams to multiple viewers simultaneously. The server used to encode the signals can be used to stream the results. Also, sufficient Internet bandwidth is required to carry the streams for the desired number of viewers and connection types. For example, 100 dial-up viewers will require 5.5 Mbps of internet bandwidth (56 Kbps X 100 / 1024 Kbps/Mbps). The streaming software is available for free from the encoding software vendors referenced above.

Streaming media service providers are also available to distribute live or on-demand content. These providers can be used in lieu of purchasing Internet bandwidth.

Current District Resources
The District currently possess the resources to produce a live Web cast of meetings conducted in the auditorium including equipment to acquire the source video and audio signal, encode the signal, and then transmit it. The following sections will describe the current resources in more detail.

Signal Acquisition
The District auditorium is equipped with analog video and audio recording equipment. Therefore, a live analog signal can be obtained for any meeting held in the auditorium. No other conference room is currently equipped with video and audio recording equipment

The District currently owns a server with two real-time video-capture cards and one standard sound card to digitize the video and audio signals from the auditorium.

Encoding
The District currently possesses one server with processing and storage capabilities sufficient for performing live encoding of three signals simultaneously. The server is equipped with Windows 2000 Server operating system and Windows Media encoding software. The encoding format used is Windows Media. The encoder is configured to produce three streams for viewers with different internet connection types as shown below.
 

Connection Type	Speed	Media
Slow Dial Up	10 Kbps	audio only
Dial-up	56 Kbps	video and audio
Broadband	200 Kbps	video and audio

Transmission
The District can use the existing encoding server to supply streaming. The Windows Media Streaming software is installed and configured. The District currently possesses a fractional T3 Internet connection which provides a total of 6 Mbps of bandwidth. 4.5 Mbps of this can be used exclusively for Web casting. This is sufficient to provide streams for 100 dial-up viewers or 20 broadband viewers. If more viewers are required, a streaming media provider can be contracted to distribute the media, or additional bandwidth must be purchased for the existing T3 (up to a total of 45 Mbps).

By way of comparison, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) currently Web casts various public meeting and workshops. Cal/EPA possesses a full T3 internet connection with 30 MB available to provide transmission service for all of the departments within Cal/EPA headquarters building including:

• California Air Resources Board (ARB)
• Department of Pesticide Regulation
• Department of Toxic Substances Control
• Integrated Waste Management Board
• Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
• State Water Resources Control Board

The CARB monthly board meeting Web casts are attended by approximately 20 broadband viewers per month.

The bandwidth of the District’s existing T3 can be increased in steps up to 45 Mbps. The available steps are 10 Mbps, and then 1 Mbps increments up to 45 Mbps. The increased bandwidth of the T3 must be purchased at least 30 days in advance, and the cost will recur monthly for a minimum period of one year. The additional cost for the first step bandwidth of 10 Mbps is approximately $791.00 per month and would support an additional 27 broadband viewer. That equates to approximately $30.00 per month for each broadband viewer or $8.20 for each additional dial-up viewer.

Alternatively, additional bandwidth can be purchased from streaming media service providers. These providers re-distribute the Web cast using their network resources, and the bandwidth can be purchased incrementally as needed. The cost of contracting with a streaming media provider for transmission is approximately $1.00 per hour per broadband viewer. Therefore, the cost for transmitting one 4 hour meeting attended by 27 broadband viewers would be $108.00. That equates to $4.00 per broadband viewer or $1.12 per dial-up viewer.

Proposal

Staff is requesting approval to use existing resources to Web cast AQMD Governing Board Meetings on a monthly basis. Web casting will only be performed for those meetings held in the headquarters auditorium, and according to the specifications listed in the "Current District Resources" section above. Additional transmission capacity will be purchased from a streaming media provider if the demand exceeds the District’s existing transmission capacity.

Resource Impact

Existing staff resources are adequate to conduct month Web casting of Governing Board meetings. Staff resources of 0.14 FTE are required to operate the Web casting equipment. No additional hardware or software is needed.

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