Video Streaming and Legislative Content Management Services

The Vendor is required to provide video streaming and legislative content management services for include:
- Current video management approach:
• HD encoders that are connected to the audio/video router via SDI inputs.
• Each encoder is routable and has the ability to stream to YouTube and Facebook.
• The system is configured with redundancy, allowing any encoder to take over streaming if another fails, ensuring continuous service.
• Publishes the agenda in Granicus and staff reports are uploaded and linked to the published agenda.
• Live manager platform to ensure the stream is live.
• If the stream is not showing properly, the clerks contact Comm engage for resolution.
• Comm engage has the ability and will start the recording manually.
• Some meetings are paused and restarted for a recess while others continue to completion.
• Within 24 hours after the end of the meeting, the meeting is archive, then published with video, closed captioning, agenda, staff reports and an indexed section where the viewer can jump to sections of the agenda.
• The minutes and summary are manually generated outside of Granicus and uploaded to the archived meeting by council clerks.
• If comm engage cannot resolve a stream issue, they employ a different encoder, and council opens a ticket with the vendor for support.
- Encoding and streaming infrastructure:
• The county‘s three Granicus HD encoders reside in the technical operations center (toc) which simulcast to YouTube and Facebook.
• They encode HD digital video inputs into streaming video files.
• The video output aspect ratio is currently 16x9.
• One of the encoders provides live video streaming 24/7 while the two other encoders offer simultaneous meeting streams.
• HD-SDI video with embedded audio and CEA 708 closed caption metadata are being sent to the streaming encoders.
• Each encoder can simulcast on three platforms, Granicus, YouTube and Facebook.
• Encoders are typically assigned to a physical control room and conference room.
• County sends an HD-SDI video signal (1080i, 59.94) with embedded audio and cea-708 closed-caption metadata to each encoder for processing.
• Toc sends an HD-SDI video signal of 1080i 59.94 with embedded audio and cea-708 closed captioned metadata to each encoder for processing.
• Public access and web distribution: outputs from this technical environment are publicly available for review via the county
- Closed captioning:
• The county contracts separately for live captioning services.
• The closed captioning quality standards are outlined in the federal communication commission (FCC) guidelines concerning closed captioning of video programming on television.
• FCC closed captioning rules for TV closed captioning ensure that viewers who are deaf/hard of hearing have full access to programming, address captioning quality and provide guidance to video programming distributors and programmers.
• The rules apply to all television programming with captions, requiring that captions be:
• Accuracy: captions must reflect the spoken dialogue and convey relevant background sounds to the greatest extent possible.
• Synchronous: captions must align with corresponding spoken words and sounds and be displayed at a readable speed.
• Complete: captions must be present from the beginning to the end of the program.
• Properly placed captions: captions must not obscure important visual content, overlap or run off the screen.
- Production, post-production and archiving:
• Meetings are manually time stamped live during the meeting.
• Notes are also captured during the meeting to prepare the meeting minutes.
• Once a live meeting concludes and the recording has fully uploaded to the cloud, council staff trims the video to remove any excess footage at the beginning and end, and time stamps are reviewed and edited as needed before publishing the archive.
• Archived content includes the Granicus video with embedded closed captioning, links to the final agenda staff reports and amendments.
• Meeting minutes, summaries, and indexed links (time stamps) are also included with the on-demand video player.
- County council website:
• Upcoming meetings
• County council sessions: county council sessions include council sessions; legislative sessions; and public hearings;
• Committee work sessions: committee work sessions include seven standing committees including planning, housing and parks (PHP), economic development (econ); health and human services (HHS); education and culture (E&C); government operations and fiscal policy (GO); public safety (PS) and transportation and environment (T&E);
• Evening public hearings;
• Town halls and other council videos; and
• Any additional miscellaneous hearings may also need to be published on the website.
- Live video and audio streaming
• One live webcast is streamed 24/7 and serves as the primary live feed.
• The other supplemental feeds often carry concurrent live video events.
• The county manages three control rooms and therefore can offer simultaneous coverage of up to three meetings.