The Mountain View Whisman School District is moving along in its plan to film and broadcast board meetings.
At the March 21 board of trustees meeting, Superintendent Craig Goldman and district administrators sought advice on how to proceed with exploring options for videotaping and live-streaming meetings on the web.
Trustee Chris Chiang, who has pushed streaming the meetings live using the free online software Google Hangouts, questioned whether spending money to partner with local cable access channel KMVT was worthwhile. Chiang said he believes that using Google Hangouts would be effective. Furthermore, he likes the Google Hangout software because it could be used to take virtual comments from people watching live streams of meetings from home.
Trustees Bill Lambert and Steven Nelson, however, said they believe many district residents don't have access to the kind of hardware and Internet connection that would allow them to stream meetings. For many Mountain View households, they said, the television is still the primary point of access to outside media -- seeming to suggest that a traditional TV option should remain on the table.
Comments
Whisman Station
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:04 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Google Hangouts, PTA meetings should do the same.
Blossom Valley
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:34 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:34 pm
Not everyone has cable TV, either. People are getting rid of wired phones since we all have cell phones and people are also getting rid of cable TV and watching stuff on hulu and netflix. MV Council meetings are both on cable and on the Internet.
Would people who don't use Google+ - which is most of us - be able to view Google Hangout meetings or do we have to sign up for that?
Cuernavaca
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:41 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 12:41 pm
I don't have cable and I have Internet access but not gmail. Can I watch the meetings without signing up with Google?
Rex Manor
on Apr 1, 2013 at 1:45 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 1:45 pm
If would make sense to have KMVT (www.kmvt15.org) record the meetings. Even if you didn't have cable, you could view it on their web channel. Basically, the station can send out the feed in various capacities. They currently do this with their other programming, including middle and high school sports.
North Whisman
on Apr 1, 2013 at 2:44 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 2:44 pm
To clarify, while the recordings are done are Google Hangout, they are viewed directly on Youtube, so viewers do not need any account or special hardware to watch live or after the fact.
The link to the test recordings are here:
Web Link
(final recordings will be clearer as placement of microphone and camera angles are improved).
Chris Chiang
MVWSD Trustee
cchiang@mvwsd.org
The views expressed herein are my own and do not represent the views of Mountain View Whisman School District or school board.
Whisman Station
on Apr 1, 2013 at 2:46 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 2:46 pm
I think you can watch a Google Hangout without logging in to Google. It's like Youtube as far as I can tell, and the recordings are viewable similar to Youtube.
Rex Manor
on Apr 1, 2013 at 3:30 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 3:30 pm
2 words: Quality Control.
Who would be tasked with setting up, breaking down, checking the quality/feed throughout the meetings..and making sure the content looks as nice as it could?
I have nothing against "free", but you get what you pay for. Why wouldn't you want to use the community media station, when they've already proven their production level with other community events (city council meetings, high school sports, etc,)?
Cuesta Park
on Apr 1, 2013 at 3:40 pm
on Apr 1, 2013 at 3:40 pm
In this case MVWSD beat, by a few days, our high-tech competitors down the road (those rocket guys, NASA) :) Thank you Trustee Chiang for introducing us to this.
NASA Hosts Its First Google+ Hangout Connecting with Space Station (Feb 22)
Web Link
Steven Nelson
one of five MVWSD Trustees, The views expressed herein are my own and do not represent the views of Mountain View Whisman School District or school board.
(and sometimes even my own views change)
Gemello
on Apr 3, 2013 at 11:04 am
on Apr 3, 2013 at 11:04 am
Perhaps a combination of KMVT and Google + Hangouts On Air is a viable option to support outreach to the demographics in our community.
Old Mountain View
on May 28, 2017 at 6:05 pm
on May 28, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?