Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning [DCTV, DC TV, Defcon TV]

[tanAtHNN]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

HNN (http://www.hackernews.com) would like to be very actively involved in roaming reporting and maybe even in studio coverage where speakers and event organizers stop in to promote "why you should go to my thing" via an interview with Space Rogue or Courtnee.

We have 2 hours of pre-recorded content to contribute including the previous 30 days worth of news (4 HNNCasts) and last years Defcon 18 "Behind the Firewall" episode (http://www.hackernews.com/2010/08/16...010-defcon-18/).

Neither Space Rogue nor Tan have any exposure to past DCTV though so we're really looking to figure out how we might fit into what seems like an expanded version of that.

What sort of facilities are part of the Riv's setup for all this? Some sort of control room and wiring infrastructure to the individual conf. rooms? Are we talking a closet of a control room or a big studio or is that part managed by the Hotel with the actual conference limited to providing content and a playlist?

[Lockheed]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

So while we were at the Riv, what we did with the DCTV/Info channel (which you really only got to see around the TV's in the convention area) was put up scrollers with schedule & info updates (which we sync'd from the InfoBooth) and also did user-submitted videos & stuff (many from the DefCon Confessional camera).

Question is - should we continue any of that?

I like CotMan's ideas - my main concern is just audio/video quality to the guest rooms. I'll be taking a trip to talk to the Rio soon, so I'll talk to them about that and see if it looks good enough to support that kinda of thing. If so, we'll see if we can get the gear to make it happen.

So tentatively, we have the following line-up
1) DC Info / DCTV
2) Tracks 1/2
3) Tracks 3/4
4) Track 5
5) ??

The big hotels tend to have concerns about doing a movie channel (it takes away from their PPV revenue).

We've also talked about doing a "roaming reporter/camera" thing - interview people, talk to people, etc - put those up on DCTV. Interesting? Lame?

[calypso]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

that is bloody brilliant.

the only thing i wouldn't see as having a really huge value-add would be the info channel. maybe it's just me, but i've never really gotten much out of it... in this modern era, wouldn't twitter or some other medium make more sense for announcements, etc?

unless we really jazzed it up, however, with Qik videos and such firing in all the time. i dunno, just suggestions.

cotman's allocation of channel usage makes the most sense to me, absolutely.

Why not overlay or a fill between talks. Hell depending on how the info channel is made (text only?) parse it and run it as a sub like on the news channels. If the info channel is only a schedule and is text only that would be a good method. The biggest roadblocks I can see would be:

1) Equipment (cameras)
2) Transmission (you can't stop the signal Mal, but you can really screw it up)
3) Making sure you don't catch hell from the Rio (self explanatory lol)

I'm totally up for this, especially the cyberpunk bar just want to know the logistics of it.

[theprez98]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

Same suggested I offered before...

Split the screen into 4 quadrants:
* Top left and top right are for the speaker from track 1and their projected presentation respectively.
* Bottom left and bottom right are the speaker from track 2 and their projected presentation respectively.
* Default Audio is from track 1.
* SAP audio channel is from track 2.

Repeat this process for track 3/4 and then again for track 5/?

This would utilize 3 channels for up to 6 speaking tracks.

This would allow for 1 channel to be set aside for Defcon Info, and another to be set aside for DCTV if it were to make a come back.

+1 (and a few more word to get to the minimum)

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

Split the screen into 4 quadrants:
* Top left and top right are for the speaker from track 1and their projected presentation respectively.
* Bottom left and bottom right are the speaker from track 2 and their projected presentation respectively.
* Default Audio is from track 1.
* SAP audio channel is from track 2.

that is bloody brilliant.

the only thing i wouldn't see as having a really huge value-add would be the info channel. maybe it's just me, but i've never really gotten much out of it... in this modern era, wouldn't twitter or some other medium make more sense for announcements, etc?

unless we really jazzed it up, however, with Qik videos and such firing in all the time. i dunno, just suggestions.

cotman's allocation of channel usage makes the most sense to me, absolutely.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

How would you allocate them for maximum in room pleasure?

Same suggestion I offered before...

Split the screen into 4 quadrants:
* Top left and top right are for the speaker from track 1and their projected presentation respectively.
* Bottom left and bottom right are the speaker from track 2 and their projected presentation respectively.
* Default Audio is from track 1.
* SAP audio channel is from track 2.

Repeat this process for track 3/4 and then again for track 5/?

This would utilize 3 channels for up to 6 speaking tracks.

This would allow for 1 channel to be set aside for Defcon Info, and another to be set aside for DCTV if it were to make a come back.

[shrdlu]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

One thing to keep in mind, there are five video channels at our disposal. One of them will be the info channel, leaving four currently unaccounted for. We had five speaking tracks this year, with two screens.. one for the speaker, one for their video output.

How would you allocate them for maximum in room pleasure?

We have talked about info scrolling bars, info updates between talks (which is more difficult because all the rooms don't always break at the exact same time, and you might not want to wait 49 minutes to get an update.

I would allocate ALL channels to speakers. I'd like to come back, and would far prefer to spend the money on a room, and continue to be my normal, extremely antisocial self. I would rather see speakers than slides, but would do a picture in picture or other split frame if I were going to be fancy (and I realize that could be more than you were planning to do).

I don't care about information updates, and agree with hexjunkie on the idea that there are already Twitter feeds and other options. Camera feed of an empty room is okay. That gives me time to make more coffee.

Can you tell I'm still drinking coffee?

[hexjunkie]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

you might not want to wait 49 minutes to get an update.

Isn't this also the purpose of the Twitter feed, the website feed, and plain ol word of mouth?

[Dark Tangent]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

One thing to keep in mind, there are five video channels at our disposal. One of them will be the info channel, leaving four currently unaccounted for. We had five speaking tracks this year, with two screens.. one for the speaker, one for their video output.

How would you allocate them for maximum in room pleasure?

We have talked about info scrolling bars, info updates between talks (which is more difficult because all the rooms don't always break at the exact same time, and you might not want to wait 49 minutes to get an update.

[Ziptie]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

A cyberpunk/steam punk bar would be great. The only problem I can think of with that is I'll never leave and miss the rest of the Con.

[burncycle]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

I, for one, would enjoy being able to view the talks in the comfort of a room with a beer and something to eat. I would especially dig it in the cyberpunk context. :)

[Supralingua]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

Great idea Deviant. I like the idea of the rooms replicating the tracks downstairs. It would be fun to setup a camera and mike that relays down to a wheelable dummy that has speakers and an LCD in place of the face. Someone could wheel the dummy up to the mike to ask the questions...

BTW, I booked my room at the Rio as I was walking out of Defcon on Sunday evening. The reservationist was surprised that the dates were available for booking. So was I.

[Melesse]

Re: Defcon 19: Viewing Suite Planning

I was just surfing the Rio reservations page dreaming about getting a suite next year. The weekend of Defcon is still blacked out, but the previous weekends range from $600-730 for the 1600 sq. foot suite (Masquerade). The higher level suite is more expensive ($1150-1200), but only 1100 sq. ft., so I imagine the larger ones are more desireable.

That being said, the Masquerade suits say "180 degree view from room," implying to me that they are on the ends of the floors, making getting a bunch of them together impossible. I just called and all the Rio could tell me is that they are on the corner of each floor.

Looking at the other options in the Rio there are 9 specialty suites called the Palazzo Suites for VIPs (read expensive). Most of their other options are not what you seem to be looking for (Wine Cellar room, Penn and Teller Theatre). There are some small meeting rooms called the Roses, Lily, and Gardenia rooms on the third floor of the Masquerade tower *shrugs*.

And you can bet your ass I'd love to hang out in a cyber bar.

Maybe some of the DC groups or hacker spaces would volunteer to work on mechanized props, displays, etc. Crowdsource it out.

Mel

[greatscott]

Re: Viewing Suite Planning

We'll have to find out how much it would run to give the bartender a robotic arm.

my own suggestion, perhaps totally unworkable but damn it'd be cool...

Cyberpunk Bar

Imagine a suite that has been totally re-decorated... dark themes, smoking permitted, neon signs in kanji, a pool table would be too much to hope for but i could imagine games of cards or Go happening in dank corners.

staff all dressed in shady, futurisic fashion as talks are viewed on TVs while a bar serves only sake, choya, and Kirin beer. Pho and sushi available to eat.

heh... am i lame for thinking that something out of a Phillip K. Dick or Richard K. Morgan novel would be a cool place to hang out at DEFCON? who remembers the Blade Runner type news updates we once had regarding the CTF? why not push it a bit further?

[streaker69]

Re: Viewing Suite Planning

my own suggestion, perhaps totally unworkable but damn it'd be cool...

Cyberpunk Bar

Imagine a suite that has been totally re-decorated... dark themes, smoking permitted, neon signs in kanji, a pool table would be too much to hope for but i could imagine games of cards or Go happening in dank corners.

staff all dressed in shady, futurisic fashion as talks are viewed on TVs while a bar serves only sake, choya, and Kirin beer. Pho and sushi available to eat.

heh... am i lame for thinking that something out of a Phillip K. Dick or Richard K. Morgan novel would be a cool place to hang out at DEFCON? who remembers the Blade Runner type news updates we once had regarding the CTF? why not push it a bit further?

I love the idea, but you'd need at least one screen that's tiny with a huge Fresnel lens in front of it, like in the movie Brazil, or the old Max Headroom series.