[guadec-list] Cameras and machines for streaming

[Andy Wingo <wingo pobox com>]

Hey all, especially those with purse-strings,

I've managed to pull myself away from work long enough to investigate
physical needs for streaming. Network needs are in good hands thanks to
Gil For�a and Fluendo's streaming platform, and personnel seems to be
getting there as per the volunteers page.

We have four rooms. We will need five machines, one in each room and one
to handle internal streaming. One is available from the GNOME event box
(where is it now, and is it really coming?). So, then we need four more.

I think renting will be expensive. One place I called was quoting 120
euros a day for one box, and that was without a DV card (which we'd need
to obtain). So my proposal is to buy 4 normal boxes off the shelf, and
some DV cards. These boxes would belong to the GNOME foundation, and be
available for future GUADEC events. During the year, Thomas Vander
Stichele expressed an interest in administering them to run buildbots
for GNOME, with bandwidth and electricity covered by Fluendo. Of course
it would be the Foundation's call.

I think that's a very strong option that will come out at the same price
as renting, without a lot of the hassle and with future benefit. So give
me reactions! I'd like to buy them on Thursday or so.

For cameras, I've got quotes of 102 euros plus tax per day for
"semi-professional" camcorders with tripods; I'd pick them up Saturday
evening and return them Wednesday evening, for a cost of three days. If
we rented four of them, we could have excellent quality archives for all
of the rooms, for a total price of about 130*4*3 ~= 1500 euros. Any
objections here? The latest budgets show we have the cash for it.

So in summary here are my three^Wfour questions:
  1) Does anyone know what's going on with the event box?
  2) Does the machine buying sound OK with folks?
  3) Any reactions to a 1500 euro camera bill?
  4) Where's the cash? :)

Cheers,
-- 
Andy Wingo
http://wingolog.org/