Hi,
I'm trying to set up a video system for work and I'm wondering if a
Linux solution might be the way to go.
The system needs to have the following features:
* 1 hub node in the studio and multiple contribution nodes at
various locations in the city.
* The contribution nodes will communicate with the hub over ADSL or
SDSL lines or possibly 3G.
* Firewalls must be in place to protect the nodes.
* Each contribution node will stream video and audio from an
attached (standard definition) camera and microphone to the hub on
demand.
* The hub will return a single stream of audio (needs to be low
latency) so the contributor can hear the program.
* The hub node must have a UI that is usable by a non-technical person.
* The hub should output the received video in a dedicated output
(preferably SDI but analog is acceptable)
* The picture and audio quality must be good enough that you would
watch them on television.
My initial thought was to get a rack mount machine for the hub and a
fleet of mini-ITX machines for the contribution nodes. I was wondering
if it would be possible to run IPCop (or a similar firewall) in a VM to
protect the main OS and apps. IPCop would also make the machines into a
VPN so they appear to be a single network to the hub. We use VLC
successfully at work and I was wondering if we could leverage that to
compress and serve the video back to the hub.
Would a Mini-ITX box be (wo)man enough to handle the video and audio
compression, firewall and the VM overhead or would I be much better with
a 2 motherboards in 1u rack case? Do you know of any projects in
existence that might fit the bill?
Thanks,
Paul.
