Government Meetings Can Be Watched on Smartphones, iPads

Residents can watch government and school board meetings on their smartphone or tablet now.

Recent upgrades to the township’s video broadcast system allow residents to watch the township’s cable access channel from any Windows-, Android-, or iOS-enabled device.

“This was a major upgrade for us technically,” said Scott Pasternak, information technology director. “The original video stream would only work with Windows Media Player. When we originally published that technology, the use of multiple video platforms on the Internet was not as widespread as it is today.”

The cameras inside the council chambers and the station equipment in town hall have been upgraded. Events that are streamed live on channel 77 are recorded and archived instantly onto a hard drive.

Videos are then placed on an online archive and can be watched anytime. The Aug. 21 council meeting, Wayne Hills High School talent show, and a recent Board of Adjustment are online already.

The channel also broadcasts announcements and events from regional, county, and local emergency service agencies, the township, and the Wayne Public School District.

The calendar and bulletin board that appear on the channel have also been upgraded. The calendar now displays live updates that residents can submit online. Updates from the National Weather Service are now displayed on the bottom of the broadcast.

“It is real data that is being displayed in real time,” Pasternak said. “A lot of the information will be dynamically automated.”

Officials budgeted $75,000 for the project. Pasternak said the project came in under budget.

“We’re still fine tuning and tweaking the quality. That will be a work in progress over the next few weeks as we analyze the technology that we’re using,” Pasternak said.

More functionality and options, such as the ability to embed videos online, may be introduced in another four to six weeks.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard atDaniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.