ViPEr-HiSS: A Case for Storage Design Tools

The viability of large-scale multimedia applications, depends on the performance of storage systems. Providing cost-effective access to vast amounts of video, image, audio, and text data, requires (a) proper configuration of storage hierarchies as well as (b) efficient resource management techniques at all levels of the storage hierarchy. The resulting complexities of the hardware/software co-design in turn contribute to difficulties in making accurate predictions about performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of a storage system. Moreover, poor decisions at design time can be costly and problematic to correct in later stages of development. Hence, measurement of systems after they have been developed is not a desirable approach to predicting their performance. What is needed is the ability to evaluate the system's design while there are still opportunities to make corrections to fundamental design flaws. In this paper we describe the framework of ViPEr-HiSS, a tool which facilitates design, development, and subsequent performance evaluation of designs of multimedia storage hierarchies by providing mechanisms for relatively easy experimentation with (a) system configurations as well as (b) application- and media-aware resource management techniques. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-99-69

Design and analysis of stream scheduling algorithms in distributed reservation-based multimedia systems

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Online Media Piracy: Convergence, Culture, and the Problem of Media Change

This thesis proposes that there is a symbiotic relationship between the emergence of online media piracy and the industrial, economic and legal changes that have shaped contemporary popular media in the early 21st century. The Internet is at the heart of most recent transformations of the popular media environment, such as the emergence of video-on-demand formats for film and television consumption and the impact this has had on the nature of those media forms. This thesis discusses the powerful role played by online media piracy in shaping these developments, both through changing the expectations of consumers, and the options that are available for distributors of media content. As well as exploring the diverse forms and practices of online media piracy today, this thesis also explores theories of media change, considering how we might understand such piracy as a force underpinning media change, and how the changes it has helped shape might be placed in a broader historical context. To that end, the history and impact of online media piracy are considered alongside other examples, such as the arrival of video recording devices and the expansion of cable television in the 1980s and 90s, and the significance of international trade deals impacting access to media via “geoblocking” and other techniques of access management. Finally, this thesis also examines debates around copyright, and the potential political significance of piracy as a tool for accessing media and culture, viewing online media piracy as a crucial practice appearing at a nexus of industrial and popular interests, tied to technological, economic and legal developments, and to changing consumer behavior and expectations

Sixth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies Held in Cooperation with the Fifteenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems

This document contains copies of those technical papers received in time for publication prior to the Sixth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies which is being held in cooperation with the Fifteenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems at the University of Maryland-University College Inn and Conference Center March 23-26, 1998. As one of an ongoing series, this Conference continues to provide a forum for discussion of issues relevant to the management of large volumes of data. The Conference encourages all interested organizations to discuss long term mass storage requirements and experiences in fielding solutions. Emphasis is on current and future practical solutions addressing issues in data management, storage systems and media, data acquisition, long term retention of data, and data distribution. This year's discussion topics include architecture, tape optimization, new technology, performance, standards, site reports, vendor solutions. Tutorials will be available on shared file systems, file system backups, data mining, and the dynamics of obsolescence

Fourth NASA Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies

This report contains copies of all those technical papers received in time for publication just prior to the Fourth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage and Technologies, held March 28-30, 1995, at the University of Maryland, University College Conference Center, in College Park, Maryland. This series of conferences continues to serve as a unique medium for the exchange of information on topics relating to the ingestion and management of substantial amounts of data and the attendant problems involved. This year's discussion topics include new storage technology, stability of recorded media, performance studies, storage system solutions, the National Information infrastructure (Infobahn), the future for storage technology, and lessons learned from various projects. There also will be an update on the IEEE Mass Storage System Reference Model Version 5, on which the final vote was taken in July 1994

1990-1991 Annual report Hooksett, New Hampshire.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

In Defense of Sundance: Examining the Film Festival’s Place in American Independent Cinema in the Age of Netflix and Amazon

For more than 30 years, the Sundance Film Festival has served as the preeminent venue for exhibiting and selling American independent films. Since the festival’s inception, however, the distinction between Hollywood and indie films has become increasingly unclear, and Sundance has been accused of selling out to the mainstream. On one hand, the Sundance Institute continues to support and incubate truly independent artists who otherwise may never get their films made; on the other hand, the festival that the institute puts on every year is full of A-list stars, corporate sponsors, and countless other examples of Hollywood elitism. The American independent cinema is as vibrant in 2017 as ever, and new powerful players such as Netflix and Amazon who seemed to enter the scene overnight are now investing a great deal of money in the production and acquisition of Sundance films. Though it may seem counterintuitive, 2017’s edition of the festival proves that the presence of these massive corporations and Hollywood stars fosters and facilitates the creation and celebration of American independent film

Mapping Digital Media: France

The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by the transition from traditional to digital media. Covering 60 countries, the project examines how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide: news about political, economic, and social affairs.In France, the digital switch-over for television proceeded in a relatively timely and uncontested fashion, with appropriate support for disadvantaged households and an effective public awareness campaign. Digital licensing has also been generally perceived as transparent and fair. Media policy and regulation have also proved largely responsive and adequate to the challenges of digitization.However, the new government faces a plethora of loose ends in digital media policy. It remains to be seen whether public subsidies aimed at regenerating good-quality journalism in both print and online sectors have been effective; there is a significant shortfall in the funding of public service media as a result of their reduced advertising quotas, and the European Commission's rejection of a planned levy on telecoms; political support for traditional media in their plight against online giants such as Google may backfire if the latter carries out its threat to exclude their content; and public trust in the media is unlikely to be restored so long as entrenched links between political and media elites are maintained

Reimagining Disruptive Technologies: The User Experience of Netflix and Pokémon GO in Australia

The user experience of disruptive technologies is insufficiently understood by industry and academia as discourse is typically centered around the impact of new technologies on existing services, business models, and their respective industries. This thesis seeks to address this gap in knowledge and develops an original framework, the Disruption-Experience Model (D-E Model), for identifying and describing user experiences of technologies that have been perceived as disruptive. The D-E model involves three interlinking concepts: stabilisation, which is a sustaining experience whereby thoughts, feelings and practices are reinforced; destabilisation, which is a dysfunctional experience whereby thoughts, feelings and practices are undermined; and transformation, which is a novel experience whereby thoughts, feelings and practices are dramatically shifting. The methodology for the thesis draws on principles from ethnography, and 28 participants were recruited from the city of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia for the investigation of two case studies: the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service Netflix and the augmented reality (AR) mobile gaming application Pokémon GO (PoGO). By observing online discussions, talking to Netflix and PoGO users directly through interviews and participating in walk-alongs, I found that the user experience diverges from some of the established perceptions identified from the literature and public discourse. Netflix has been perceived as a dramatic disruption for the Australian television industry, but in terms of the user experience it was mostly a continuation of existing viewing practices, with internet piracy as the middle-man. PoGO was perceived as disruptive in different ways by different people, with game changing implications for the AR, marketing and mobile gaming industries. However, users were less interested in the innovative aspects of the game and more excited about experiencing Pokémon in a new way and being part of a historical, cultural moment. This thesis provides nuance to conversations of disruptive technologies by including the point of view of the user, and the D-E Model can be useful for understanding experiences of other technologies—or potential disruptions—in the future