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Software Systems
MCTV15 operates many computer centric systems in order to provide services to the community. There is a number of areas in which we operate.
- Live studio production
- Post production
- Office Systems
- Internet
- Cablecasting
MCTV15 makes use of:
This is the primary set of software installed on MCTV15's Computer Systems. The Computer Systems page indicates what software is installed on each system.
Software In Use
Microsoft Windows XP SP2
The operating system of choice over that past few years was Microsoft Windows XP with service pack 2 (SP2) installed. All MCTV 15 current computer systems in service have either the Home or Professional additions of Windows XP. As of July 2008, Microsoft no longer sells licenses to Windows XP. Microsoft Vista is the official operating system for all levels of computing. The initial release of Vista had many problems with third party hardware drive
compatibility. None of our computer systems has enough resources to support Vista. To upgrade will require no high end computer systems.
Open Office v2.x
MCTV15 uses Open Office because:
- It's FREE of charge
- Fully compatible with Microsoft Office file formats
- Available of Windows, Mac and Linux
- Outputs to Adobe PDF files
- Supports International Standards (ODF)
- Not everyone participating can afford Microsoft Office
Microsoft office applications successfully killed the commercial competition for office productivity applications. This happened largely due to bundling deals and Microsoft's propriety file formats.
Microsoft Professional 2007 suite costs $500. It's expensive to play Microsoft's game.
Open Office is a Microsoft file format compatible office suite that was initially released by Sun Microsystems. The suite is available for free on Windows, Mac and Linux. It's actively supported and developed. It can read and write Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. Many governments no longer except documents in Microsoft's propriety formats. Instead they have opted for International standards Open Document Format (ODF). Open Office fully supports ODF. Microsoft does not! Open Office also comes with high quality Adobe PDF output built in. Microsoft Office would require an expensive upgrade to provide PDF output.
DabbleDB
MCTV 15 uses an online application service called 'DabbleDB', which allows us to create data centric applications online using a web interface. Normally these applications would be hacked up using a spreadsheet or a database application. Starting with raw data for a spreadsheet, DabbleDB applies easy importing and linking via categories to related data.
This service is used for managing data associated with these categories:
- Actions
such as Todos, Calendar Events, City Meetings, Productions, etc.
- Communications
such as Telephone, Email, Face to face, Letter, etc.
- Contacts
such as Individuals, Nonprofits, Governmental, Educational, Commercial, etc
- Inventory
such as tracking all our equipment and maintaining a wish list.
- Logs
such as volunteer activities performed for MCTV15
- Projects
such as Shows, Event planning, Upgrading, etc,
- Relationships
such as Volunteers, Staff, Board members, Producers, etc.
- Services
such as checking out and in equipment.
- Shows
such as Names of shows, episodes, producer/sponsors, date, local, etc.
Category data is cross referenced with other categories. For example, The 'Shows' category has a reference to the name of the person sponsoring the show. That person's details is stored in the 'Contacts' category. Data is entered once and reference from every were it is needed.
DabbleDB allows us to analysis the data in many different ways in order to create reports illustrating the health of our organization.
SubVersion
MCTV15 backups and shares important files by using a secure 'Sub Version' version control system.
We using this system for:
- Backup
Every computer is vulnerable to failure, file corruption, viruses or theft.
- History
Previous versions of files are automatically maintained for reference and reuse.
- Collaboration
Part or all the files can be checked out over the Internet for reading and updating by approved individuals. This allows them to participate in MCTV15 from the comfort of their own computer.
Important files are stored a special folder on the office computer. New and changed files are copied into the subversion database located on the Internet. Any new or changed files in the database that were not on the office computer are copied to the office computer.
Windows XP systems run TortoiseSVN to provide access to the subversion database. On the Mac OS X we recommend ZigVersion to provide this function.
Normal work flow when you are starting a session to do some MCTV 15 buisness includes.
- Do a SVN Updates for get all the latest versions.
- Do some work on existing files or create new ones.
- Do a SVN Updates again just to make sure nothing has changed.
- Do a SVN Commit to put all your changes in to the system.
Microsoft Small Business Accounting
MCTV15 uses a computer based accounting package to provide basic financial tracking. Microsoft Small Business Accounting (SBA) is a complete accounting solution that helps us manage everyday financial tasks. It can generate standard and custom reports for monthly and annual reporting.
LogMeIn Remote Access
LogMeIn, Inc. provides free and paid for technology for securely accessing remote computer systems. MCTV15 makes use of LogMeIn Remote Access at the suggestion of the College of the Siskiyous, IT department. The College improved network secure after some problems in the fall of 2007. Prior to that, MCTV15 used standard protocol open source Virtual Network Computing (VNC) software to provide remote access to MCTV15 systems.
Remote Access allows trusted individuals access to MCTV15 computers from over the Internet. Using LogMeIn Remote Access we can:
- remotely control the computer as if we were sitting at it;
- recover from many software and system errors;
- perform systems maintenance;
- provide technical support on software use and configuration to individuals located at the computer;
- update the Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) and show schedule; and
- reboot unstable systems;
LogMeIn Hamachi
The College of the Siskiyous improved network secure after some problems in the fall of 2007. Many of the tools MCTV15 used to maintain the media server were no longer workable without secure network access.
LogMeIn Hamachi is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that enables secure remote access to MCTV15's internal network of computers from anywhere there's an Internet connection. It is simple, secure and free. Using LogMeIn Hamachi over the Internet we can access MCTV15 systems and:
- work with Microsoft Networking to share folders and files;
- work with Microsoft Networking to share printers; and
Mozilla Firefox
MCTV15 uses Mozilla Firefox on all it's Internet connected computer systems. Firefox provides fast, secure and standards compliant web browsing. It's open source and freely distributed. It works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Apple OS X and many others.
In addition, MCTV15 makes use of the Adobe Flash plug-in and the LogMeIn Remote Access plug-in.
Mozilla Thunderbird
The office computer ('Kirk') is the only system that is setup to send and receive email from a POP3/SMTP account. MCTV15 uses the open source Mozilla Thunderbird to provide email functionality.
Grisoft AVG
MCTV15 uses a licensed version of Grisoft AVG to protect the Windows XP systems for viruses and other malicious software.
-
- I think we need to renew our license to continue protection. - John Cumming
Sony Vegas 6
MCTV15 makes available two computer ('Spock' and 'Scotty') systems for editing video on. Sony Vegas was chosen as the non-linear video editing software. The software provides strong tools for editing Standard Definition (SD) video in both the audio and visual realm.
-
- MCTV15 uses Sony Vegas version 6.0. Version 8 has been out for 1.5 years, version 9 is not far away. What should the upgrade plan be for video editing software? -John Cumming
Silicon Sorcery MediaServer v3.x
MCTV15 licenses software to assist in providing 24 hour programming on Channel 15. Silicon Sorcery provides the MediaServer software suite to MCTV15. Using the suite we can:
- display Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) messages between shows and on schedule;
- use simply text files to maintain the EBB;
- play music or other audio files during the EBB;
- provide scheduled playback of industry standard MPEG2 video files;
- automated switching between scheduled shows and EBB;
- real-time on screen date and time display;
- provide information about the next show to be played;
- minimize scheduling errors at time of schedule preparation;
- automatically prepare schedule for distribution on web site; and
- automatically log all activity;
The suite consists of two pieces of software:
- MediaServer
This software is the run time component that provides the EBB and show playback. The software is driven by several XML files that are used to describe shows, schedules and audio playlists.
- MediaClean
This software is used to prepare the show schedule for the MediaServer. It creates an XML show schedule after checking many common error potentials.
Inmatrix Zoom Player Standard v4.51
MCTV15 uses the Free version Zoom Player to playback all the audio and video from MPEG2 files stored on the MediaServer's media hard drive. Using the Zoom Player allows for:
- playback of trimmed MPEG2 videos at scheduled shows times;
- shows to be trimmed to remove the excess material at the beginning and end of videos;
- the video to be positioned and sized for external monitor;
- procamp support for color and brightness adjustments; and
- AC3 audio playback;
DVD Decrypter
MCTV15 extracts shows into MPEG2 files from DVD using the free software tool 'DVD Decrypter'.
MCTV15 uses NTSC DVD's as it's primary source for video submissions. Standard 'legal' DVD's contain MPEG2 PS encoded video with Dolby AC3 encoded audio. The audio and video are multiplexed together with additional information into multiple Video Object Block (VOB) that are stored on the DVD. DVD Decrypter rips the VOB files from the DVD and puts them in the hard drive. Most of the time these ripped files can be renamed to *.mpg and everything works fine.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
MCTV15 uses Adobe Photoshop Elements for preparing and printing labels for DVD's.
Serious Magic (Adobe) DV Rack
MCTV15 licensed Serious Magic DV Rack from use on the ive production system ('Scotty'). This software allows for better lighting and audio setups through the calibrated measurement of light and sound.
Serious Magic (Adobe) Ultra 2
The College of the Siskiyous licensed Serious Magic Ultra 2. This software is a state of the art chroma keying system from post production work.
Scenalyzer 4
MCTV15 uses Scenalyzer software to capture video from miniDV tapes to hard drive. It is installed on both editing systems.
-
- MCTV15 needs to buy it's own license. We have been using John Cumming's license. - John Cumming
Skype
MCTV15 has a Skype account ( mctv15 ) with SkypeIn, SkypeOut and voice mail. This allows calls to/form landlines and mobiles for a computer. Skype will be used for many telephone applications such as general telephone usage, call in shows, telethons, alerts and much more.
Pretty May
Pretty May is a Skype software based private branch exchange (PBX) system. PBX's are the most powerful type of business telephone systems available. Pretty May uses Skype to provide up to 30 concurrent telephones lines, 500 extensions, voice mail, auto-attendant, IVR, call route and call recording. Regular phones can be used to make and receive calls via Pretty May. Pretty May call center software runs on a Windows based system.
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