Kickoff Event Webcast

[RoboMadi]

just wandering if NASA do the webcast of KickoFF event. if yes, please post the information about it in this thread. Thanks

Imad

[ahecht]

According to http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/2006/kfevents.htm, details are still pending.

However, if it is like past years, the kickoff will be broadcast on NASATV, and there are several places on the internet that carry webcasts of NASATV (see http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ for a short list).

[RoboMadi]

Thanks for the info. Actauly we are tryitn gethave a small kick off evetn at our school for hte studetns and their families. Our school is not able to provide NASA Channel, so our bext option is webcast. I will look forward for the fninal info from FIRST. Thanks again

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by RoboMadi

I will look forward for the fninal info from FIRST.

Yeah, me too. And I'm looking forward to a game hint too. Or maybe we already have something from someone on here who has some insider info.

[BRosser314]

Isn't now the time that the game clue is given to us?

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by BRosser314

Isn't now the time that the game clue is given to us?

Though this is dragging the topic a slight bit OT...

The clue is normally given to us sometime between Christmas and Jan 1st.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Adam Richards

Though this is dragging the topic a slight bit OT...

The clue is normally given to us sometime between Christmas and Jan 1st.

And with Kickoff not happening until the 7th I'd bet it is closer to the 1st than Christmas.

[Andrew Blair]

Ahhh.....Another 2 weeks to wait till I can over analyze an unanalyzable clue in preparation for kickoff. I think I'm as excited for kickoff as a kid is for Christmas!
"Can we have the hint Davey, Please Please!! It's only 4 AM! Pleeeeeaaase Davey???"

Now all we need is a photoshopped picture of Dave as a ....no, no, I've said too much already...

[Martinez]

I have a few questions of my own as our High School is setting up for the Webcast:

1) We will need the exact URL for testing purposes.
2) Will the streaming video work with Quicktime and/or Windows Media
Player?
3) Does it use any nonstandard UDP or TCP ports other than Port80?
4) Are any other browser plugin's required?

At Clarkson I had very little experience setting this up. Basically I just clicked on the link and it worked. Any words of wisdom would be most welcome.

[Dave Flowerday]

Originally Posted by Martinez

I have a few questions of my own as our High School is setting up for the Webcast:

Assuming it's carried on NASA TV again this year (which is likely a safe bet), then you can get all the webcast info you need from the site already mentioned in this thread:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
Looks like they support both Windows Media and Real, and of course those webcasts are live 24/7 so it's easy to test out.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Martinez

I have a few questions of my own as our High School is setting up for the Webcast:

1) We will need the exact URL for testing purposes.
2) Will the streaming video work with Quicktime and/or Windows Media
Player?
3) Does it use any nonstandard UDP or TCP ports other than Port80?
4) Are any other browser plugin's required?

At Clarkson I had very little experience setting this up. Basically I just clicked on the link and it worked. Any words of wisdom would be most welcome.

1.) The link is http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
2.) The Nasa TV stream is either in Windows media player or realplayer,.
3.) I don't think it uses any nonstandard ports, other than Port 80, but i'm sure I'm somehow going to be disproved in some way.
4.) You don't need any browser plugin, but I'm pretty sure you need at least the latest Media Player(Or at the very least version 9. The required codec will be automatically downloaded if you haven't changed the option in media player that automatically downloads the required coded.) If you want to test run the computer just visit the link and view the stream. Nasa TV is on all day, and will work the same now, as it will on January 7.

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by RoboMadi

Thanks for the info. Actauly we are tryitn gethave a small kick off evetn at our school for hte studetns and their families. Our school is not able to provide NASA Channel, so our bext option is webcast. I will look forward for the fninal info from FIRST. Thanks again

While we have always been fortunate enough to have satellite reception through our major sponsor for the kickoff, we have often used the webcasts of regionals during the competition season. (The NASA links are already given by other contributors in this thread.)

Run your ethernet through a laptop that has a video out port, and then connect that to a projector or large television. Use the Full Screen mode in RealPlayer, and it'll be easy for all to see. The quality will not be as good as a broadcast, but it'll be acceptable. (My attempts to use WinMedia Player streams always ended up out of sync, or continually trying to buffer the download. Not a knock, just the difficulties I ran into. Others have run these streams successfully.)

Put a VCR in between the computer and the projector/TV, and you can tape the kickoff for later viewing, in case you have questions about the game. It's quite simple, but do a dry run ahead of the kickoff on some dummy stream off the net. That way, you know the procedure works, and that you have all the needed cables/connectors to do it.

If your team builds a practice robot after you ship, consider using the webcasts of the regionals to help train your competition team. Run the webcast in the practice area to give the team the "feel" of the regional; the sounds (turn the speakers up LOUD), the timing (start and stop your practice rounds with the streamed matches), and the length of time for robot setup/removal. Your comp team will be a bit better adjusted to the flow of things once you get to the regional.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by Martinez

I have a few questions of my own as our High School is setting up for the Webcast:

1) We will need the exact URL for testing purposes.
2) Will the streaming video work with Quicktime and/or Windows Media
Player?
3) Does it use any nonstandard UDP or TCP ports other than Port80?
4) Are any other browser plugin's required?

At Clarkson I had very little experience setting this up. Basically I just clicked on the link and it worked. Any words of wisdom would be most welcome.

Here are the URLs for the direct streaming video from the 2005 FIRST Kickoff. All you need to get the live webcast is a high-speed internet connection and either Windows Media Player or Real Player. The Windows Media Player version has a much higher quality, and would be better for a webcast. The Real Media version is basically for slower speed Internet conenctions.

Windows Media video: mms://sargasso-3.arc.nasa.gov/2005/first/05kickoff.wmv

Real Media version: http://robotics.nasa.gov/first/2005/05kickoff.ram

[Doug G]

You can also record streaming media using a program called "WM Recorder".

www.wmrecorder.com

The software is about $30-$50 and it is worth every penny. I've used for so many things and I've only had it a month. I'm a teacher and at our school our connection is pretty slow and unpredictable, so I can record streaming video content (like from annenburg or PBS) at home using my DSL and then take them to school and show students (for educational purposes of course) You can set it up to record at certain times and dates too. Anyways, I don't work for them or anything, but in case some people wish to record the webcast or any of the competitions - it may be useful.

[sanddrag]

Last year at the Southern California remote kickoff, they did the Windows media webcast and toward the end it lagged, bad. We weren't able to get the last 5 minutes at all (where they gave the password to the manual). If anyone organizing that event is reading this, please get NASA TV on satellite or cable for that event.