To: rem-conf@es.net
Subject: vic-2.7 alpha test

A source release of version 2.7 of the UCB/LBNL vic video tool
is available for alpha-test.  This version of vic conforms to
the final (RTP-7) Internet Draft for the IETF AVT Real Time
Transport protocol.  It also conforms to the July '95 Internet
Draft for the H.261 payload specification.

   NOTE: Because there were significant RTP and RTP/H.261 protocol
   changes between vic 2.6 and vic 2.7, ** VIC 2.7 IS NOT
   BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE WITH VIC 2.6 **.  We regret this but
   changes in the low-level protocol standard make it unavoidable.
   Vic 2.7 is still compatible with nv and ivs and will interoperate
   with v2.6 in either nv or ivs compatibility mode.

2.7 adds support for several new video capture devices
(VigraPix, SlicVideo, Parallex, SGI Cosmo Compress, IBM RS-6000
Ultimedia -- thanks to the help of many contributors).  It also
has new support for analog video output on machines that support
it (DEC J300, SGI Indy Video/Galileo).  The 2.7 software architecture
has been completely re-done from 2.6 and adding support for new
hardware or hardware capabilities should be much easier.

2.7 should also fix several robustness and performance problems
from v2.6.  

This alpha-test is intended for sites who are interested in
fielding the new release and are willing to debug and report
problems.  This is *not* a stable, general public release.  Once
the alpha testers have tripped over the major bugs, we intend to
do a general release.  This will include updated vic binaries
for most supported systems.

If you're interested, pointers to ftp directories etc. can be found in:

	URL http://www-nrg.ee.lbl.gov/vic/alpha-test.html

Installation and overview material on vic is in:

	URL http://www-nrg.ee.lbl.gov/vic/

Please direct vic-related correspondence to vic@ee.lbl.gov (which includes
only the developers and is not distributed beyond our site), and thanks
for any help with the alpha-test.

Steven McCanne (mccanne@ee.lbl.gov)
Van Jacobson (van@ee.lbl.gov)
Network Research Group (URL http://www-nrg.ee.lbl.gov/)
Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory