The Penn Video Network (PVN) is the University of Pennsylvania's cable television and special video events network. PVN serves nearly 8,000 students living in the University's ResNet-wired College Halls and GreekNet-wired fraternity and sorority chapter houses, and activated in more than 60 academic and administrative buildings on campus.

The Penn Video Network is a service with support provided by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Executive Vice President; partnership with College Houses and Academic Services, and Housing and Conference Services; and operated by Information Systems and Computing - Networking and Telecommunications.

All programming decisions, including but not limited to channel additions and special programming, are guided by a programming advisory board composed of University of Pennsylvania students, faculty, and staff. The PVN Programming Advisory Board is chaired by senior staff of the Office of College Houses and Academic Services. The PVN Programming Advisory Board meets once per semester, and once during the summer.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Programming Advisory Board, please contact us at video @ isc.upenn.edu.

With more than 65 channels of video programming, the Penn Video Network lineup has many of the most popular satellite channels, as well as several regional off-air channels. Supporting the academic missions of the university, PVN also delivers a wide variety of public affairs, instructional, and international channels.

The Penn Video Network also features campus news, sports, and discussion on the independent, student-run UTV13, QUEST and QUEST TOO! Networks; a full-service information service on the university's Video Bulletin Board (Channel 2); and two 24-hour movie channels, presenting more than 35 new and exciting films each month. PVN also operates the Penn Special Events and Programming Channel 24, which broadcasts diverse programming for Penn students, faculty, and staff.

The Penn Video Network, with the video downlinking capability of its satellite dish and the signal delivery capacity to multiple sites in more than 60 academic, residential and administrative buildings on campus, is Penn's technical means of utilizing video conferencing - a means for a world-wide sharing of ideas and experiences.

The Penn Video Network office is available to assist members of the Penn community in technical, logistical and promotional efforts involved with satellite video-conferencing. For more information, visit the Satellite Conferencing section of our site.

For information on ISDN or Point-to-Point videoconferencing, see the Penn Video Productions website: http://www.upenn.edu/video/pvp/.

The Penn Video Network has a video production unit that offers a set of video related services, including video production work: concept development, pre-production planning (including scripting and casting), location preparation, graphics, one- or multi-camera shoots, final editing and presentation. The Penn Video Productions department also offers many forms of distribution, including tape and disk, streaming video, and through the traditional Penn Video Network.

Penn Video Productions also runs a streaming server intended for campus users and light off-campus use. When we know of applications for which the audience is large and predominently off-campus, we can arrange for hosting with one of several outside streaming companies. In some cases, we might choose to use both streaming approaches.

For more information, please contact Penn Video Productions Directors/Producers Gates Rhodes at 215-898-9142, or Christopher Cook at 215-573-4006. Or, visit the website at http://www.upenn.edu/video/pvp/.

The Penn Video Network also provides the technical infrastructure for inter-campus video communication and special events, such as University-wide Town Meetings.

For more information, please contact Penn Video Productions Directors/Producers Gates Rhodes at 215-898-9142, or Christopher Cook at 215-573-4006. Or, visit the website at http://www.upenn.edu/video/pvp/.