News for and about the Internet2 community

[Greg Wood <>]

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AND VIDEO FURNACE PROVIDE
LIVE C-SPAN/C-SPAN2 BROADCASTS OVER INTERNET2 NETWORKS

EVANSTON, Ill.--May 19, 2003--Northwestern University and Video Furnace, 
in collaboration with C-SPAN and Internet2, have announced the 
availability of live, high-quality C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 broadcasts 24 
hours a day to anyone with an Internet2 network connection that is 
multicast capable. This experimental, research broadcast project is made 
possible through Northwestern University's high-performance networking, 
a cooperative partnership with C-SPAN, and Video Furnace's IP video 
technology.

Video Furnace's software technology and scalable IP multicast technology 
enable anyone with a notebook or desktop computer connected to a 
multicast-capable Internet2 network to watch C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 live. 
The live C-SPAN signals originate from Video Furnace servers located at 
Northwestern.

"We believe this to be one of the world’s first successful live 
broadcasts over Internet2, and it showcases the capabilities and reality 
of converging live video to the desktop utilizing high speed, 
multicast-enabled IP networks," said Mort Rahimi, vice president and 
chief technology officer for Northwestern. "Advanced networking makes 
this kind of multimedia transmission possible because it's designed to 
deliver large bandwidth and has a multicast backbone. It's a terrific 
demonstration of what can be done using the latest networking technology."

"Video Furnace's unique technology lets users watch this or any other 
Video Furnace-enabled streams without having to install any players, 
browser plug-ins or other software on their computers," said Howard 
Weinzimmer, Video Furnace CEO. "No other IP video solution allows 
computer users to enjoy a television-like experience without the 
encumbrance of proprietary-installed and difficult-to-maintain media 
players."

All common operating systems are supported for viewing. The only 
requirement is a current Java-enabled browser to accept the end-user 
license agreement necessary to receive the appropriate Video Furnace 
InStream content viewer at www.i2-multicast.northwestern.edu.

The C-SPAN broadcast over Internet2 networks uses the same Video Furnace 
technology that powers Northwestern's NUTV service. NUTV delivers 20 
on-air and extended television channels to students' desktop and 
notebook computers in Northwestern University’s undergraduate residence 
halls through the University's existing IP network.

C-SPAN is also continuing to work with Northwestern University's 
International Center for Advanced Internet Research (iCAIR) on another 
research project with C-SPAN, established in 2000 as part of the 
Internet2 Digital Video initiative.

------------------------------
About Northwestern University: Founded in 1851, Northwestern University 
is one of the country's leading private research and teaching 
universities with an enrollment of approximately 7,700 full-time 
undergraduate students and approximately 17,000 total undergraduate, 
graduate and professional students on campuses in Evanston and Chicago. 
For more information about Northwestern University, see 
http://www.northwestern.edu.

About C-SPAN: C-SPAN, created in 1979 by the cable television industry 
as a public service to the nation, offers commercial-free 
round-the-clock coverage of public affairs via cable and satellite and 
on the Internet. For more information about C-SPAN, see 
http://www.c-span.org.

About Internet2(R): Led by over 200 U.S. universities, working with 
industry and government, Internet2 is developing and deploying advanced 
network applications and technologies for research and higher education, 
accelerating the creation of tomorrow’s Internet. Internet2 recreates 
the partnerships among academia, industry, and government that helped 
foster today’s Internet in its infancy. For more information about 
Internet2, see http://www.internet2.edu/.

About Video Furnace: Video Furnace is a leading developer of 
mission-critical enterprise IP video solutions. The company has 
developed the only end-to-end solution that brings live video to a 
computer without requiring the user to install any resident player 
software or hardware. Founded in 2002, Video Furnace is headquartered 
northwest of Chicago in Libertyville, Ill. Its technical team has 
extensive experience in digital video delivery systems and a long 
history of development in media, gaming and broadband video solutions. 
For more information about Video Furnace, see http://www.videofurnace.com.

Contact:
Chuck Loebbaka, Director of Media Relations
University Relations
Northwestern University

847-491-4887

Glynis Gibson
Gibson Communications for Video Furnace

773-278-7700

Greg Wood, Director of Communications
Internet2

202-331-5360

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