Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

We will need to view the FRC kickoff on January 7th, 2012 from our school. Are there any special considerations to connecting to http://robotics.nasa.gov/events to view the kickoff? Special plugins, codecs, signup, etc. needed?

It will be the first time we have had to do this and we don't want to mess it up.

Thanks.

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

I've viewed it using the web the last couple of years, and the only issues I've experienced are once I got bumped off the broadcast as it got closer to air time and I think I've had it time out after so long of viewing one year. However, both of those could have been "localized" issues with my Internet/equipment. Other than that there really wasn't anything I had to do, just watch at the appropriate time.

Hope this helps!

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

Given that's it's prerecorded this year I'd LOVE to see it posted on YouTube or some such. That would allow for teams far out of the time zone to watch it at a reasonable hour.

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

Have I missed something? Every year the kickoff has been telecast live on the NASA channel. A live TV broadcast would be superior to a webcast.

Mr. Bill

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

Some of us don't necessarily have access to the NASA Channel. In such cases, the webcast is by far the superior option for viewing the Kickoff, as compared to not viewing it at all. Even if the webcast isn't always of the greatest quality due to massive traffic.

As the cast is being viewed from a school by this particular group, the school may or may not have the TV access needed to show the Kickoff. That's also a decision that would probably be made above the teachers' pay grade.

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

It's not going to be live this year. Bill Miller announced in his blog some time ago that the kickoff is being (and in large part already has been) pre-recorded.

It'll still be on the NASA channel as usual. Also as usual, many locations will be viewing the broadcast using internet streaming rather than the satellite feed.

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

Years ago a C-band 10 foot dish was required to recieve the NASA channel, so our choice of venue was limited. Now it is quite easy. Many cable services carry it and Direct TV and Dish Network both carry it, so it can be seen anywhere in North America. One year we borrowed a Direct TV dish and reciever and ran the cord through the window at the school. No problem.

Mr. Bill

Re: Viewing FRC Kickoff
 

Any chance you can borrow a transmitter and broadcast your team meetings? Now that's something I would pay to see.