Computer-equipped students living in campus residence halls may not have to consider carting television sets to school next fall. The University's steering committee for Internet Protocol Television - which allows students to watch TV on their computers - will hold a closed meeting this Friday to discuss the possibility of permanently implementing the service starting in the 2006-2007 school year.
At the end of the semester, the committee, which is composed of administrators, staff and students, will make a recommendation to continue the service or pursue an alternative cable provider, said Alan Usas, assistant vice president for academic and network systems and services. If the committee recommends continuing IPTV, Falls Earth Station, Inc., a Madison, N.Y.-based communications technology provider, will most likely continue to manage the service, Usas said.
The manufacturer that supplied the current cable service is no longer in business, and compatible spare parts are unavailable, Usas said. With cable access left in such a precarious situation, the University must either lay a new set of cables or find a replacement service soon, and IPTV appears to be the most viable option, Usas said.
"The old program probably died 10 years ago, and it's on its ninth life at this point," Usas said. "We could limp along as we did in years past for a little while longer, but that's not a very good scenario for anybody."
IPTV has received positive feedback from students since the $60,000 pilot program began last fall, Usas said. Because IPTV offers more channels than the traditional coaxial cable service, higher definition picture and the ability to watch multiple channels at once online, Usas is confident the service will supplant the decrepit traditional cable system, he said.
"It's been well received, used often, and I think it's been excellent," said David Greene, vice president for campus life and student services. "I think the chances are pretty good that we could be moving forward with making that a permanent program."
"I think IPTV is going to be able to fix all the problems we have right now with the cable system and still have all the benefits of an actual TV," said Sarah Saxton-Frump '07, president of the Undergraduate Council of Students.
On average, between 20 and 25 percent of students in residence halls watch IPTV every day, and a much higher percentage has used the service sometime during the year, Usas said. IPTV makes usage statistics easily accessible, while with the current system, statistics can only be obtained from student polls, Usas said.
Currently, IPTV only offers 16 channels, excluding all major networks except for Fox, compared to the 18 available on regular cable. If IPTV service is continued next year, all the channels offered on both services will be retained for no additional cost, Usas said. Lectures delivered on campus and other educational material can easily be recorded and distributed across campus, a process that is much more difficult with the regular cable system, Usas said. Currently, lectures by Candice Bergen, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Professor of History Gordon Wood are available.
While continuing IPTV service will cost the University the same amount as the current cable service, additional channels may be offered in the future if the budget allows, Usas said. In the future, students may be able to order premium networks over IPTV such as HBO for an additional cost, Usas added.
If the service permanently replaces regular cable, the University will most likely use cable boxes to transfer IPTV from the Internet to television sets in public spaces on campus, such as lounges, Usas said. In that case, cable boxes will also be made available for rent or purchase so students can watch IPTV on television sets in their dorms, he said.
Some students had a mixed response to the service. "I don't really use it that much, but I think it's a good thing because not everyone can have a TV in their room," said Steve Bernardi '07.
"The quality is nothing compared to a regular TV. It's just one more thing on the computer that distracts me from doing my work," said Melvin Parker '08.
