I have been part of a network planning team that is looking for ways to bring more services to the IP based PSU backbone. For a start we are working with OSTN to introduce student created content. There are plans to use the PSU Portal as the initial means of delivery. The advantage to using the Portal is that The content should be available to anyone on the Penn State Integrated Backbone. Due to the use of multicast for delivery, the "channel" will not be available via wireless. As long as your LAN is Internet2 compliant, you should be ready to check out OSTN when it becomes available. To find out if about your network, you should contact your local administrator.
This kind of online delivery of entertainment is really starting to gather momentum. Three years ago, my wife and I canceled our cable television service to help offset the unexpected arrival of additional day care costs. (More sentimentally...my son.) As time has progressed and circumstances change, it is now harder and harder to justify that kind of monthly cost. Here is a list of services that I am playing with at the moment to replace cable or satellite TV.
1. Joost My username is zorp75ck if you want to be my friend.
2. Netflix Watch Instantly
3. Miro
4. ABC High-Def Player
5. NBC's Full Episode Viewer You have to navigate to each show.
6. VLC
For me the best part of using these kinds of services is that they all give me what i am looking for when I am looking for it. The other great thing is that they are all legal. Have a look at some of these tools and let me know what you think.
One final note for online media today. Happy Birthday to Weird Al! In the spirit of this post, Don't Download this Song.
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