ABSTRACT

LIVE-NET started in 1987 as a collaborative project between London University and British Telecom to provide interactive video teaching for inter-collegiate courses held within the University.

LIVE-NET has been used for teaching academic subjects ranging from theoretical physics - “Quantum Electrodynamics” to classics - “The Dialogues of Plato” as well as for meetings and satellite broadcasts.

LIVE-NET has had experience of using both analogue and digital networks. The original LIVE-NET system was based on a switched star analogue video network connecting seven sites of the University. In the summer of 1994 LIVE-NET moved over to a hybrid system consisting of analogue links within University College with gateways to external digital networks.

Since 1987 LIVE-NET has gained a large amount of experience using video networks for interactive communication applications. This has ranged from straightforward teaching applications to multi site satellite conferences.

LIVE-NET is controlled by a central computer which is responsible for scheduling sessions and remotely controlling equipment such as the video switches, CODECs and the Laser Videodisc Recorder.

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