Students returning to campus this fall will be able to turn to their computer screens for a few new perspectives: from Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, Master Shake, Frylock and Meatwad.
A new $60,000 pilot program will allow students to view Brown cable television, including four previously unavailable channels, on their computer screens over the campus residential network, according to Kara Kelley, director of Computer and Information Services.
The four newly available channels will be Cartoon Network, Fox News, TBS and MTVU, according to UCS President Brian Bidadi. On the regular cable network, which will continue to function throughout the pilot, the Cartoon Network will replace the video bulletin board on channel 27. Fox News, TBS and MTVU will only be available via IPTV.
The IPTV pilot project will run for the duration of the fall 2005 semester, after which UCS, CIS and the office of Campus Life and Student Services will gauge student reactions and decide whether or not to continue the project.
Students have expressed dissatisfaction with the current cable television system, which runs over old wiring and broadcasts only 8 channels. As part of a spring referendum, the Undergraduate Council of Students solicited suggestions for new channels students would like added to the current package, which includes CNN, TNT, Comedy Central and ESPN in addition to local channels and the Brown Television network.
The channels for the pilot program were chosen based on the UCS survey. "Last year, over 2,000 of the student body took the survey - so I think they are going to enjoy the new changes," Bidadi said.
Kelley said students in all residential dorms will continue to have free access to television, including the new system. "If we accomplish our goal successfully and (the new television system) has value to the community, we should make that decision to eventually replace the regular television system," Kelley said.
Currently, IPTV technology is available at several campuses, including Northwestern Uni-versity, and Dartmouth and Cornell are conducting pilot programs for it as well, Kelley said.
IPTV will also transmit BTV, eliminating problems with poor reception and resolution on the student-run channel.
The pilot project is "very simple to use" and has many unanticipated benefits, Bidadi said. "Roommates can watch separate channels in their shared room and the pilot program has obvious benefits for those who do not bring televisions to school."
With IPTV technology, students can open multiple channels at one time and resize the channels on their computer screen, Bidadi said.
A converter would allow the programs to be viewed on a normal television screen. Bidadi said that UCS would like the Office of Residential Life to purchase a limited number of converters for student use.
Student reactions to the pilot program will be gauged and if the pilot program is installed permanently, a tiered cable system could eventually be set up, Bidadi said. This would allow students to separately pay for premium programming, such as HBO and the New England Sports Network, which broadcasts Boston Red Sox games.
"CIS and the University have done a great job to make sure the channel selection has been given a great deal of student input," Bidadi said. With UCS working closely with the student body, "I have a feeling that there is going to be an overall (increase in) satisfaction."
