Chess Scotland Broadcast Channel

[David G Congalton]

The Dundee congresses proposed use of the livestream facility for broadcasting at next weekend’s event, Prestwick’s intention to broadcast commentary at the 2012 congress and the thread on online junior coaching has set the little wheels and cogs crunching in my head about a Chess Scotland livestream channel.

Some of the following is also on the junior thread and I apologise for repeating myself. I said I apologise for repeating myself.

By using Livestream, it is my understanding that broadcasts can be made at no cost to the provider or to the user. I believe that the Livestream facility can also allow the viewer to see what is on the producers screen. There is also a chat facility which allows communication between the provider and the audience.

The free version has no restriction on who can view or the number of viewers (once a channel has been verified).

The provision of a Chess Scotland channel may spread public awareness of the game, the channel could be used for

• the broadcast of congresses

• the broadcasting of the Scottish Championships

• A monthly Chess Reporting Scotland

• The Presidential Speech each Christmas and New Year

• Last night of the Pawns for those with musical talents

• Live 100 club draw.

• Junior and adult training

• Award ceremonies – Chess Scotland equivalent of the Oscars and the award for best supporting actor in a Chess Soap goes to …

• Question time – A panel made up of our top chess players could be grilled on what they think of the current situation of the game in Scotland. Nominations for the role of mediator could be made on the forum.

• The Kings Road – A gritty soap about a town of chess players and the drama, scandal and intrigue of their lives. This Thursday – Big Al is devastated at being omitted from the first team’s trip to Auchtershoogle, Rab the Rook returns a day early from the Mull of Kintyre congress to find his wife big Senga entertaining Dougie the Poisoned Pawn over his Battle of Bannockburn chess set.

[Andy Howie]

Now I have a full size keyboard at my hands instead of a phone one, I can type this with ease.

We have used Livestream for both the LCC and British Chess Championships. Dave Clayton has used it for 4NCL etc. I did a test and set up a Chess Scotland channel during the Edinburgh Congress last year to test bandwidths etc.

Main problem is for it to function correctly, you really need to have a fixed internet connection. A mobile one will be eaten alive with the amount of data that has to be uploaded for streaming video. Your allowance will disappear very quickly!

As soon as you start using streaming video, you have bandwidth overheads and that is the main problem with this.

[Andrew McHarg]

lol David your posts are always entertaining and inspirational.

Despite the difficulties Andy outlines, it's still possible. If we charged per person then we could incorporate a modest fee to cover the bandwidth cost (if we were streaming from our own site). Perhaps keeping away from video would be the best bet, instead actually just showing a board with vectored moves being transmitted than actually having the whole thing streamed as a video. This would save on a ton of bandwidth.

=)

[Andrew McHarg]

Oh wait, I've misunderstood Andy. Apologies. I think you are talking about from the guy at the event uploading the video?

[Andy Howie]

You did, it is the guy uploading

[David G Congalton]

Oh fiddleysticks! Back to the drawing board then, although I suppose nowadays drawing boards are out and it''s all fancy electronic whiteboards and computer pencils. Bit of a blow, as I've just spent a productive day at work writing the pilot episode of my chess soap.

I don't quite understand the bandwidth malarky but I'm gathering that to produce a livestream broadcast would mean that the coach or whoever was producing the event to be screened would break some sort of limit placed on most normal internet users when producing the broadcast and would incur some sort of financial penalty with their broadband provider.

Two other options for training have been mentioned on the junior pages - playchess with skype and webex and the way I understand webex is that you'd also need skype or a phoneline for this. Apart from the monthly cost for both are there call charge costs involved in these for the coach or the participants?

Are there any alternatives that haven't been mentioned so far, that I could look into?

[Andy Howie]

Not quite David,

If you are using a mobile broadband dongle, you will have a set amount you can use a month, it is usually 1GB or 3 GB, a livestream broadcast can easily overwhelm this so the only real way to do it is to have a fixed internet at the venue

[Angus McDonald]

Can webex or skype conferencing in conjunction with playchess not be used for group sessions?

Accepting the point that 1 to 1 is the ideal teaching ratio in all situations the reality at School, University etc is that we have groups for cost effectiveness.

Online coaching is definitely the way to go in my opinion. Certainly as long as fuel costs remain high.

So flexibility of approach is important also with 1 to 1 for those who are prepared to pay for it and group sessions for those who wish to pay a smaller fee.

Also a more the merrier atmosphere in terms of coaches wishing to offer their services. This will drive up standards and create a buzz with players wanting to try out their new found knowledge hopefully at congresses etc.

[Andrew McHarg]

Online coaching is definitely the way to go in my opinion. Certainly as long as fuel costs remain high.

Agreed. The thing is that when I went to the Boris Avrukh training seminar he had a large screen and Chessbase open on it and that's what he used. There is almost no difference between that approach and just doing it online. Having a computer means you can quickly move through positions and whatnot without the tedious need to re-arrange the pieces. =)

[Andy Howie]

Of course the other option is to use Live meeting combined with Skype...