Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 18, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The provider of IP-based television channels Artvoice promises all universities and colleges the provision of their own IP TV channel without any costs: In exchange, the colleges merely make their own existing video material about scientific experiments, studies or tutorials available for the
Broadcast on the TV channel Science-TV.com operated by Artvoice. According to the provider, some universities such as Munich University of Applied Sciences or TU Berlin are already taking advantage of the offer. The channels of these and other cooperating colleges can be found under the portal http://www.university-tv.org. The offer is aimed at universities both in Germany and abroad.
To offer viewers a varied and always up-to-date programme, the television channel Science-TV.com operated by Artvoice on the one hand constantly creates new film material itself. On the other hand, however, it also tries to win universities and colleges as cooperation partners who to make their video material available to the channel for broadcast. In return, Artvoice provides the respective university with its own IP TV channel free of charge. Artvoice bears all costs for the colleges that arise from conversion into broadcast-ready formats, archiving the content in TV quality and the traffic caused by accesses. Provision of the channel is not time-limited, so that no follow-up costs arise for the colleges. The university channels are built by ArtVoice on http://www.university-tv.org on the basis of the corporate designs of the individual colleges.
The broadcast programme contributions are generally process descriptions and explanations of scientific processes. Some consist of specially produced programmes and only some are simple recordings of lectures. The contributions are intended to teach and explain as a supplement to the lecture, but not replace the lecture itself. Broadcasting video contributions is also an ideal supplement to the communication of knowledge for distance-learning universities. Many relationships are easier to understand in form of audiovisual contributions. All offers are to be available to students free of charge, regardless of whether access takes place within the college or from the Internet. To be able to distribute all contributions without disruption throughout the entire world, an international IP TV broadcasting network was set up. The network is constantly being expanded in all countries and is at any time capable of broadcasting via satellite or into cable as well.
In addition to the free basic offer, universities can also purchase their own channels that run independently of http://www.university-tv.org on their own TV platform. For this purpose, Grid-TV, a company belonging to the Artvoice Group, awards international broadcasting licences and enables the use of international broadcasting networks. In addition, Grid-TV sells broadcasting scheduling software and further moving image licences. Such paid models are especially interesting when the platform is to be used to generate revenue from moving-image advertising. Grid-TV’s core competence is setting up such channels and developing viable operating models with good refinancing possibilities.
