An international study was undertaken to assemble available and pertinent information about television video-distribution systems and to relate this information to the present and potential future requirements of educational television services. The study also sought to illustrate through model situations the costs and benefits of particular systems and to make policy recommendations in the field. The study reports on direct systems of distribution--those in which the transmission of the video signal and its reception by the user can be regarded as simultaneous events--and indirect systems of distribution--those which rely on the transcription of the video information into a storable and transportable format. Economic considerations are discussed and a number of illustrative cost comparisons are presented for each transmission system. A short survey of limited bandwidth systems is also included, and a final section summarizes the conclusions and makes recommendations. (Author/SH)