Technical information

Chapter 6 Setup Example 59
• Client computers of various types with QuickTime Player or other MPEG-4 compliant
software installed can access the Xserve streaming server via the campus network.
Other client computers can access the streaming server via the Internet.
• The broadcaster laptop running iMovie is used to produce high-quality on-demand
versions of a live presentation after the presentation is concluded. The recorded
digitized presentation is brought into the computer for compression through its
FireWire connection using the DV camera.
Note: QuickTime Broadcaster can be set to record the encoded live stream to disk for
archival purposes. For best results, however, the footage should be encoded
separately.
• The broadcaster laptop is also used to control the Xserve remotely using the Server
Admin application (or using Web Admin, the QTSS web-based administration
application).
Note: The laptop could also be connected to the local network wirelessly via an
AirPort base station for extra portability. The AirPort is 802.11 compliant and works
fine with QTSS. Its 11 megabits per second (Mbps) of bandwidth is more than
enough for our example setup if other clients don’t place heavy demands on the
same base station.
Setting It Up
The following steps show how to set up QuickTime Streaming Server and the other
components needed for live and on-demand streaming in this hypothetical university
setting.
Step 1: Prepare the Location
A typical classroom doesn’t provide a broadcasting and recording environment
comparable to a professional television or recording studio. The following measures
can help ensure reasonably good results:
• Go into the classroom or lecture room you want to use for live streaming, close the
doors, and listen for extraneous noise that could interfere with a broadcast. If noise
from a nearby break room, video gaming area, street traffic, or other source is
noticeable and can’t be eliminated, find another room.
• If extraneous noise is not an issue, stand in the center of the room, clap your hands
or shout, and listen for an echo. If you hear an echo, the sound quality of a live
broadcast can be compromised. You can reduce or eliminate echoes by hanging
heavy curtains on bare walls or placing acoustic panels in a checkerboard pattern on
each wall.
• Next, examine the floors and furniture. Carpeted floors and padded chairs are best. A
lectern should have a cloth on top or other padded surface to protect against noises
such as the speaker setting down a glass of water.