Options for the Maeshowe 1998 project

1 Options with regard to functionality on Internet

1. using e-mail and news/dristibution lists

This is done using the press release. We had in 1997 some 200 e-mail addresses (including some distribution lists with at least a total of 2000 members). For this year we could extent this list with the broadsheets of several countries.
Cost: £ 0
2. using static web pages

Is already done (http://maeshow.myapge.org/) and new ideas provided by viewers are incorporate when they come in (like a GMT clock). I could take out the advertisement banner at the beginning of the session for 10 pound a year.
Cost: 0 (removing the banner: £ 10)
3. using the automatically updated web pages

This has also been done in 1997. We had a picture every 30 sec of some 10 kByte (giving an average of 2.7 kbit/s). On peak time some 1,000 people were watching these pictures during the actual sunset. So this gives a throughput of some 2.7 Mbit/s. I don't think that this was continuously the case, and certainly when increasing the number of watchers this will cause problems for many provides (certainly towards USA: 50% -> 1.3 Mbit/s in the direction of USA). The question is if we HAVE to increase the amount of watching people. If increasing it, I assume costs will be involved and a big provider is needed (like demon).
Cost: £ 550* (for the PC/modem and video grabber, the ones already available during the 1997 project)
4. using Mbone (an IP multicast network on the Internet)

This can provide real time video (and audio if needed) of nice quality (but much lower then VHS).
This Mbone has the advantage that the scare resources in the IP network are used very efficient (but it is not everywhere available or is in an experimental phase). A video stream of 10 -100 kbit/s is easily transported over Mbone (NASA is also doing that!) all over the world. In this case one expects of the viewers: a) a relatively high speed connection (say ISDN using some 100 kbit/s) and b) a good Internet Service Provider. Most national research networks  (like JANET an SURFnet) (or other big networks like UNIsource) have this IP multicast functionality.
This can be done from a Pentium 200 MHz PC with Windows 95 or Windows NT.
In the network of a provider (could be anywhere in the Internet, and thus could in the Netherlands, SURFnet...) a multicast server must be available. demon.nl (demon.co.uk?) does not want to test yet with IP multicast (perhaps in future).
Cost: £ 690* (an extra PC+ethernet+router and extra video grabber, one for the still pictures and one for the real time)
5. streaming media applications

Streaming media, like for instance Real and Icast, seem to be able to use also the IP multicast network, so these are also in the picture. The advantage is that these application are in the commercial environment so they are (perhaps) more stable. One needs the Mbone option in this case.
usingthese applications without IP multicast is partically not feasable for such a big viewers environment.
Cost: £ 100
6. the Mbone tools (vic, vat, sdr)

These tools are based on public Internet standard and the tools are in the public domain. The disadvantage of these tools is that they are in an experimental phase. One needs the Mbone option in this case.
Cost: 0

2 Options with regard to functionality at Tormiston Mill

1. get a video link between Tormiston Mill and the mound

To realize this a fiber link seems to be the best. This will provide quality video (VHS)  at Tormiston Mill. This can work beside all options chosen in Internet option section.
Costs: £ 2000* (for 700 m dual fiber, two video transmitters and two video receivers) + £ ???* (big screen television) + £ 75* (videomixer)
2. A television link between Tormiston Mill and the mound

Use two normal television aerials. At the mound the videorecorder plus amplifier will send the signal through the aerials towards Tormiston Mill where the television will display it and send it to the Internet PC. In this we only need to upgrade the PSTN link at Tormiston Mill to ISDN.
A license is needed for this option.
Costs: £ 30* (two aerials) + £ 10* (amplifier)
3. get a separate Internet Access Point at Tormiston Mill

This connection (ISDN) is beside a possibly existing one at the mound or at Tormiston Mill (if there is no router at Tormiston Mill).
The quality of this video is as if one watches it through the Internet, so poor (lower then VHS). So the present television can be used
Cost: £ 400* (extra ISDN, extra PC)
4. A wireless LAN between the mound and Tormiston Mill

A high speed wireless link (up to 2.5 Mbit/s) would be possible. This takes away the problems of digging in archaeology rich grounds and it provide the possibility of getting relatively good quality video at Tormiston Mill and/or connectivity towards the Internet.
No license is needed for this option (using the 2.4 GHz band).
Cost: £ 850*

3 Options with regard to functions at the mound

1. one or two camera's for picking up picutres for Internet

Cost: £ 100* per camera
2. a videorecorder to record from Dec. 1^st 1998 until Febr. 1^st 1999

A normal VHS recorder is good for this job. Tapes of 4 or 8 hours are needed, but most important is that the timer of the recorder is not dependant on the power!
Cost: £ 75*

4 Options with regard to link towards Internet

1. ask for a normal ISDN line in the mound (including the digging in the ground).

I assume that this is quiet cheap, because it is concerning a normal home line, isn't it?
Cost: £ 150* (including TA) plus £ 103 per quarter
2. upgrade the present normal telephone line (PSTN) at Tormiston Mill to an ISDN link.

This has initial costs and a higher monthly rate, because you get two lines instead of one. Costs: £ 150* (including TA) plus £ 103 per quarter
In this case we still need some way to go from the mound towards Tormiston Mill.
3. extend the new Tormiston Mill phone (ISDN) towards the mound.

This could be a yearly event (so BT could make this every time when we are broadcasting things).
I don't know if this was just extending the present line or making a temporarily new telephone line (PSTN). This link is made by putting poles in the fields between Tormiston Mill and the mound (so no digging is required).
Costs:  £ 1500 pounds (I have an offer of BT from last year).
 

5 Camera specification for Internet broadcast

• 25° - 60° angle of view

so don't use a videoconferance camera with a fix wide angle lens
• S-Video, minimum C. Video

not really essential, but nice
• a manual fixed white balance

Even after power dips this needs to be pre configured. The white balance is needed to have a good nice warm color of the sun light.
• the whole camera does not need any human interaction to do its work

most (home/professional) video camera needs a lot of pushing buttons. It also needs to continue working after a power dip!
• a fixed manual aperture

A nice to have future, but not essential
• small, and rigid in moist environment

lost of small camera used for video conference have this
• low minimum light (something like 1-10 lux).

This is not really important, because if the sun shines, there is lots of light and when there is no sun, one needs no picture.

 6 Options for the promotional video

• use the best camera possible (studio or broadcast or S-VHS/Hi-8 quality)