The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is broadcasting live video from a number of aquatic locations, including the Lost City, thanks to a streaming appliance from VBrick Systems, Inc., and a global streaming infrastructure from PowerStream. While ROVs explore the ocean’s floor to generate a video feed for thirsty minds, and while VBrick’s video appliance encodes that video feed back at the shore, PowerStream delivers the video feed to Internet users from multiple datacenters. PowerStream’s reflector service gives each interested student a unique connection to the stream.

The MPEG-4 video standard encoded by VBrick and distributed by PowerStream can be viewed using any number of free media players, though this particular webcast favors the QuickTime player because of its ability to be embedded into a webpage, making the viewing experience for students as easy as following a URL.

Ideally, students from around the world would be on the boat with researchers, asking them questions about the exploration, but every interested student in the world couldn’t physically fit on one boat in the Atlantic. The only comparable scenario, then, is to allow every student to observe what is happening on-location, to pose questions via the web for researchers to answer live, and to have access to archived versions of past research. VBrick Systems and PowerStream, on the other hand, make this possible as a real-time, interactive presentation.

The streaming video solution for this type of event is as comprehensive as it is unmatchable. Live feeds from the research vessel and ROVs at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean feed over satellite to VBrick appliances. These appliances produce MPEG-4 streams that PowerStream’s Global Infrastructure delivers to Internet users world-wide. Ivar Babb, Director of the National Undersea Research Center at University of Connecticut, commented that those involved “strongly believe that the excitement and adventure of this expedition should not be limited to a select few,” and the Internet-based solution removes every limit on student involvement. The stream is public at:

http://www.immersionpresents.org/live-video.html

About PowerStream:
Troy, MI based PowerStream is a proven leader in the Streaming Media Sector. PowerStream's service offerings range from WebCasting, Corporate Communications, Audio/Video OnDemand hosting to integrated solutions developed around client parameters. PowerStream currently maintains three major DataCenters in North America. Founded in 1998, privately held PowerStream is based on sound practice and execution.

For more information:
http://www.PowerStream.NET

800.842.1015