Rocketry Planet

GRANGER, Texas USA — The Austin Area Rocketry Group (AARG) plowed new ground this weekend and it wasn't with the nosecone of a lawn dart.  AARG became the first group to leverage the power of Justin TV's self-broadcasting system by webcasting their monthly launch.

Mark Willet of AARG, National Association of Rocketry Section #585 and Tripoli Central Texas Prefecture #54, got the idea to webcast the group's monthly launches as an outreach program, to take the fun of launching rockets to those who couldn't attend or who were curious as to what happens at a rocket launch.

SLIDESHOW: AARG's morning crew, ready for their debut broadcast. Other slides shows two of the young AARG fliers excited to be broadcasting their launch. Note Jim Jarvis' carbon fiber Big Daddy behind them, which is launched in the following slide on a Roadrunner G80. The last slide is of LCO and AARG president Stu Barrett presiding before the launch controller.

"I thought that the televised launches would be a good boost for club participation, and the hobby as whole," Willet said. "Besides, it looks like it's going to be fun!"

Using a regular laptop computer powered at the launch site by a DC/AC 100 watt inverter connected in the field to a 12V battery, the system uses Justin's desktop software connected to a Logitech QuickCam Orbit 2-megapixel camera along with a Nextel wireless broadband card.  A secondary 1.2megapixel camera is available to allow camera switching if desired.

In the past, live broadcasting was usually reserved for large media corporations who were willing to spend the money necessary to accomplish their goal.  Today, Justin TV is taking that business model, reducing its costs and bringing it to ordinary people by enabling viewes and broadcasters alike to interact in real time through chat and live video.

"Justin.tv has democratized live video by shrinking all of the functionality of an expensive TV satellite trunk into a simple laptop or desktop computer," states their website. 

The Justin TV live video network is powered by Python Media Server — a custom built live streaming video server cluster. Their chat system is powered by the JTV Twisted Chat Server - a custom built chat server that implements a wide variety of filtering and moderation techniques and relays well over a million messages a day.  The Justin TV video network streams live video at 1/4 cent per user hour - by far the most cost effective live streaming ever built.

Website: http://www.justin.tv/aarg