Re: TV Glossary

   Here's a crack at some definitions.  I suspect there will be a few 
   minor variations on this, as these may be a little ATSC-centric.  But 
   having these in place will help us all speak the same language at 
   least.  If you have comments on these definitions, or have other 
   terms to add, lets do it here first, then we can publish the results 
   to the W3C site in a little more beautiful form.
	...
   Content Author - usually a studio (Disney, ABC Studios) that creates 
   video, audio, and "data" or some aggregation of these.

In my opinion, this example is a little confusing.  We're talking
about Disney, ABC, etc. wearing their "studio" hat, not their
"network" hat.  Content Authors can also be ad agencies, independant
producers, or just about anyone with Adobe After Effects (:-).

	...
   Network - company that authors and aggregates content and distributes 
   it (ABC).

Networks provide editorial control or selection and related services.
Companies that are networks may also have content authoring
capabilities, but those are separate hats.

   Transport Company - a company that aggregates and emits (usually in 
   cable or satellite) a collection of channels (DIRECTV).  This is also 
   sometimes referred to as a "network", but usually confuses folks when 
   it is.

For the moment, only cable and satellite companies qualify in the US.
With ATSC, any broadcaster may also be a transport.  There may be
multiple transport "hops" (e.g., an over-the-air broadcaster's signal
can be picked up by a cable company and reaggregated).
	...

Craig

Received on Tuesday, 31 August 1999 23:11:53 UTC