Celebrate Oklahoma Voices Project video/media server RFPs
More details needed on RFP
We have received a series of seven questions from a vendor regarding this RFP. The following are these questions, as well as answers.
1) How many on-demand streams (or total throughput) do you want the video server hardware to support (or multiple servers)? One server might be configured to support 100 concurrent DVD-quality streams or another might support 200 concurrent streams giving a wide range of options between 300 and 1,000 streams of broadband quality in one server depending on the server hardware and drive configuration.
ANSWER: We are looking for functionality comparable to what we have now as we have uploaded video directly to our learning community Ning site (http://celebrateoklahoma.ning.com). DVD-quality streams would be overkill at this point for what we are wanting. Transcoding to 320 x 240 resolution in Flash format meets our current needs. It would be great if the solution provides different options for output resolution quality, including DVD-quality, but this would be a bonus rather than a requirement at this point. In terms of concurrent streams, if the server can be configured to support 100 concurrent 320x240 quality streams that would be adequate. My perception is that the number of concurrent streams is based on the bandwidth available to the server (commodity Internet connection) as well as the server software. It would be good if the server could support more than 100 concurrent streams. If that functionality is an add-on or option that our project could scale to that would be good to include in the quotation.
2) Is load balancing of multiple streaming servers so you can support thousands or tens of thousands of concurrent streams required for your project now, or in the near future?
ANSWER: No, load balancing of multiple streaming server is not a current or near-term requirement. Again, if that is an option we could scale to in the future that would be good, but that is not a current requirement.
3) How much storage capacity is desired in GB/TB, or if you prefer how many hours of video storage based on DVD-quality at 2Mb/s (878MB per hour) and broadband at 384kb/s (170MB per hour)?
ANSWER: We would like a solution which can scale to include additional servers and storage capacity in the future. 1 TB of storage capacity would more than meet our current needs, 500 GB would also be more than adequate. Our project will hopefully scale to larger numbers of videos and simultaneous video streams, but at this point we are offering approximately seven workshops per year, with 20 teacher participants per month. This equates to approximately 140 videos per year, of approximately 10 MB in size each. Certainly we hope this will scale in the future, but current requirements are modest.
4) In the requirements it asks for transcoding capabilities. Are you looking for encoder hardware, which generally provides the ability to transcode from one file format to another as well as encode? or is the thinking that one or more video/media servers would actually handle this functionality in addition to performing the storage and streaming?
ANSWER: We want this transcoding to happen on the server side, just like websites like Ning and YouTube handle this presently. A WMV or MOV file is uploaded to the server, and the server does the transcoding to Flash format and provides the user with a permalink as well as the embed code to embed the video inside a player on another website. Given this context, I think the answer to your question is we want the server to function as an encoder, so users do not have to convert files into different formats before uploading. We want the server to handle all the transcoding and be flexible in handling different file types. We don't need overkill with filetypes, right now the three main formats we have people uploading are mp3, PhotoStory3 WMV, and MOV exported from iMovie.
5) Also please clarify which video formats you want the system to support for transcoding from and into, in addition to Flash i.e. Windows Media, QuickTime, Real, Mpeg 1/2/4 or H.264?
ANSWER: Source formats are mp3, PhotoStory3 WMV, and MOV exported from iMovie. Output format should be Flash. If additional formats are supported, that is a bonus and nice, but not required for our RFP.
6) Do you want support for directing live broadcasts through the video server including unicast (for Internet) and multicast for LAN/WAN live broadcasting from live encoders? If so, what formats do you need to support live and do you have encoders for this already?
ANSWER: No, we do not require support for directing live broadcasts for this RFP. If that is available with the solution, or an available option we could add to the server in the future, then that is a plus, but not a requirement for this RFP.
7) Are you providing a secure place we can submit certain information that would be considered confidential and proprietary that we don't want all competitors or other vendors getting access to?
ANSWER: Yes. Per the original RFP, those documents (including the quotation) should be emailed directly to Eric Hileman, who is the chair of our technical advisory sub-committee.
1) How many on-demand streams (or total throughput) do you want the video server hardware to support (or multiple servers)? One server might be configured to support 100 concurrent DVD-quality streams or another might support 200 concurrent streams giving a wide range of options between 300 and 1,000 streams of broadband quality in one server depending on the server hardware and drive configuration.
ANSWER: We are looking for functionality comparable to what we have now as we have uploaded video directly to our learning community Ning site (http://celebrateoklahoma.ning.com). DVD-quality streams would be overkill at this point for what we are wanting. Transcoding to 320 x 240 resolution in Flash format meets our current needs. It would be great if the solution provides different options for output resolution quality, including DVD-quality, but this would be a bonus rather than a requirement at this point. In terms of concurrent streams, if the server can be configured to support 100 concurrent 320x240 quality streams that would be adequate. My perception is that the number of concurrent streams is based on the bandwidth available to the server (commodity Internet connection) as well as the server software. It would be good if the server could support more than 100 concurrent streams. If that functionality is an add-on or option that our project could scale to that would be good to include in the quotation.
2) Is load balancing of multiple streaming servers so you can support thousands or tens of thousands of concurrent streams required for your project now, or in the near future?
ANSWER: No, load balancing of multiple streaming server is not a current or near-term requirement. Again, if that is an option we could scale to in the future that would be good, but that is not a current requirement.
3) How much storage capacity is desired in GB/TB, or if you prefer how many hours of video storage based on DVD-quality at 2Mb/s (878MB per hour) and broadband at 384kb/s (170MB per hour)?
ANSWER: We would like a solution which can scale to include additional servers and storage capacity in the future. 1 TB of storage capacity would more than meet our current needs, 500 GB would also be more than adequate. Our project will hopefully scale to larger numbers of videos and simultaneous video streams, but at this point we are offering approximately seven workshops per year, with 20 teacher participants per month. This equates to approximately 140 videos per year, of approximately 10 MB in size each. Certainly we hope this will scale in the future, but current requirements are modest.
4) In the requirements it asks for transcoding capabilities. Are you looking for encoder hardware, which generally provides the ability to transcode from one file format to another as well as encode? or is the thinking that one or more video/media servers would actually handle this functionality in addition to performing the storage and streaming?
ANSWER: We want this transcoding to happen on the server side, just like websites like Ning and YouTube handle this presently. A WMV or MOV file is uploaded to the server, and the server does the transcoding to Flash format and provides the user with a permalink as well as the embed code to embed the video inside a player on another website. Given this context, I think the answer to your question is we want the server to function as an encoder, so users do not have to convert files into different formats before uploading. We want the server to handle all the transcoding and be flexible in handling different file types. We don't need overkill with filetypes, right now the three main formats we have people uploading are mp3, PhotoStory3 WMV, and MOV exported from iMovie.
5) Also please clarify which video formats you want the system to support for transcoding from and into, in addition to Flash i.e. Windows Media, QuickTime, Real, Mpeg 1/2/4 or H.264?
ANSWER: Source formats are mp3, PhotoStory3 WMV, and MOV exported from iMovie. Output format should be Flash. If additional formats are supported, that is a bonus and nice, but not required for our RFP.
6) Do you want support for directing live broadcasts through the video server including unicast (for Internet) and multicast for LAN/WAN live broadcasting from live encoders? If so, what formats do you need to support live and do you have encoders for this already?
ANSWER: No, we do not require support for directing live broadcasts for this RFP. If that is available with the solution, or an available option we could add to the server in the future, then that is a plus, but not a requirement for this RFP.
7) Are you providing a secure place we can submit certain information that would be considered confidential and proprietary that we don't want all competitors or other vendors getting access to?
ANSWER: Yes. Per the original RFP, those documents (including the quotation) should be emailed directly to Eric Hileman, who is the chair of our technical advisory sub-committee.
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