*Attendees*

Ken Klingenstein (chair) - Colorado/Internet2
Renee Frost (acting co-chair) - Michigan/Internet2
Ellen Vaughan - Internet2
John McNair - Tennessee
Art Vandenberg - Georgia State
Samir Chatterjee - Claremont Graduate U.
Jim DeRoest - Washington
Michael Gettes - Georgetown
Jill Gemmill - ViDe/Alabama at Birmingham
Mary Trauner - Georgia Tech
Sean Brennan - Georgia Tech
Mairead Martin - Tennessee
Ben Chinowsky (scribe) - Internet2

*Discussion*

The call was devoted to reviewing VidMid's work so far and discussing what documents the group should produce in the near future. [AI] Ken will revise the why-video-needs-middleware document, incorporating feedback he's received from VidMid. The group briefly discussed the idea of spinning off a separate group to work on VoD; there was general agreement that VidMid should finalize scenarios and see how much VoD overlaps with other areas of work before making a decision on whether or not to do this. Mairead called the group's attention to a "Managing Digital Video Content" workshop next week; see http://www.vide.net/conferences/. [AI] All who have information on live streaming video in the context of a broader VoD service, will send it to the list.

The group agreed that more information about how other groups produce and use scenarios would be helpful in guiding its own scenario-writing process. [AI] Mairead will a) look for scenario-writing standards used by the IETF and other organizations, and b) compare the scenarios VidMid has produced so far with these standards. For a top-level categorization of scenarios, Art suggested 1) point-to-point videoconferencing, 2) multi-point videoconferencing, 3) VoD, and 4) real-time streaming video; [AI] Art will a) suggest a list of scenarios for VidMid to produce, and b) inventory the scenarios VidMid has produced so far.

The group discussed developments in the videoconferencing world. Jill estimates that the current economic downturn will delay commercial SIP implementations by 12-18 months, though Windows XP is expected to be SIP-enabled. SIP expert and new VidMid participant Samir Chatterjee noted that CU-SeeMe has announced they are moving to SIP. Mary pointed out that as far as she knows CU-SeeMe doesn't register with gatekeepers, and Renee suggested that this might be a good place for VidMid to try to exert some influence. Samir noted that SIP had made it a five-minute task to add video to a voice application he'd helped develop. [AI] Samir will look into the availability and qualities of public SIP servers. Samir noted that much work needs to be done on SIP MCUs; his group's work so far has mostly been concerned with point-to-point SIP. [AI] Samir will send the list some pointers and documents about SIP, including some IETF docs on SIP and QoS. The group revisited the question of whether VidMid should concern itself with codec hardware issues. Samir noted that lots of people working on SIP are so far concerned only with VoIP; if VidMid put forward standards for codecs, this could encourage them to do more with video. [AI] Ken and Renee will confer with Ted Hanss about whether VidMid, the Internet2 Commons, or both should work on codec hardware issues. [AI] Samir will get started on writing an overview of SIP-for-video issues.

Samir noted that one of the first things he learned about VoD was that there are many advantages to "near-VoD", where media starts at regular five- to ten-minute intervals instead of immediately on demand. Mairead stressed the importance to VidMid's scenario-writing process of the group agreeing on a clear definition of VoD; for example, does VoD refer to streaming video, video file transfer, or both? [AI] Ken, Mary Fran, and Mairead will send proposed definitions of VoD to the list. [AI] Jill will send the list a report on the August 15-16 ViDe workshop.

The next VidMid call will begin at 1600 UTC (12 noon EDT, 9 am PDT) on Monday, August 20.

*Action Items*

[AI] 6-August-2001 - Ken will revise the why-video-needs-middleware document, incorporating feedback he's received from VidMid.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - All who have information on live streaming video in the context of a broader VoD service, will send it to the list.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Mairead will a) look for scenario-writing standards used by the IETF and other organizations, and b) compare the scenarios VidMid has produced so far with these standards.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Art will a) suggest a list of scenarios for VidMid to produce, and b) inventory the scenarios VidMid has produced so far.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Samir will look into the availability and qualities of public SIP servers.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Samir will send the list some pointers and documents about SIP, including some IETF docs on SIP and QoS.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Ken and Renee will confer with Ted Hanss about whether VidMid, the Internet2 Commons, or both should work on codec hardware issues.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Samir will get started on writing an overview of SIP-for-video issues.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Ken, Mary Fran, and Mairead will send proposed definitions of VoD to the list.
[AI] 6-August-2001 - Jill will send the list a report on the August 15-16 ViDe workshop.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Ken will make a discussion of what SIP information should be stored in which directories a priority on the next VidMid call.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Ken will make a style recommendation for VidMid scenarios, blending the styles of the current versions of the videoconferencing, VoD, and security-cameras scenarios.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Art will draft a scenario for videoconferencing using an MCU.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Ken will refine the point-to-point videoconferencing scenario.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Ken will edit the current VoD scenario, focusing it on video production issues.
[AI] 9-July-2001 - Phil will draft a VoD scenario focusing on issues of concern to people assembling video collections, e.g., teachers preparing material for a class.
[AI] 25-June-2001 - Ken will track down what he did with the SIP slides.