The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), located less than two miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, is a public research university with a diverse student body of over 31,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. No stranger to leveraging technology to enhance the educational experience, UNLV was one of the first higher education institutions to adopt lecture capture across their sprawling urban campus.

“Our journey with lecture capture started in 2018,” Frank Alaimo, manager of Classroom Technology Services at UNLV explained. “We did a pilot program, adding ceiling microphones, cameras, and lecture capture hardware devices inside the lecterns. But, with failures, update issues, and increased recording demands on our campus, we realized that we needed a better piece of hardware. We were still reliant upon equipment that was just, frankly, outdated.” 

A team led by Alaimo and Andrew Borts, senior instructional technology specialist at UNLV, spearheaded the university’s recent effort to finally bring a cohesive, state-of-the-art lecture capture solution to campus—one that would integrate seamlessly with an existing Panopto content management system, as well as Crestron room control.

[Class of 2024: University of Nevada, Las Vegas]

An AV Solution, Years in the Making

Rigorous testing eventually led Alaimo and Borts to select Epiphan Video’s Pearl Nexus. The enterprise-grade lecture capture solution offered UNLV everything it needed: effortless integration with AV infrastructure, robust remote management through Epiphan Edge, and streamlined installation allowing over 200 units to be deployed across campus. The simplicity and speed of installation were remarkable, with each device taking less than 10 minutes to set up.

 With approximately 215 general-purpose classrooms—more than half of which needed to be equipped with lecture capture—as well as research spaces of various kinds, versatility was another key sticking point for UNLV. “We have plenty of different spaces where research is going on: labs, golf simulators, instruction kitchens, and all types of other facilities that needed to make use of this recording capability,” Alaimo said. “When it came to our AV ecosystems in our classrooms, the Pearl Nexus just worked with everything.”

Borts echoed this, highlighting the incredibly smooth transition from their legacy system to Pearl Nexus: “The best part about Pearl Nexus is we've been able to make it feel like it's been part of the infrastructure for as long as we've known, even though we've just started using it.”

Working in tandem with the Pearl Nexus, the Epiphan Edge remote monitoring system has eliminated a considerable amount of management legwork for Alaimo and his team. “The Epiphan Edge has made things so much easier for my staff. They go out, they install one of the boxes, they contact the administrator, and we're up and running and on the cloud in under seven minutes. My team doesn't have to run around and check rooms to see if they're working; we just look at the Edge and it tells us if it's working or not.”

“Epiphan Edge has really revitalized how we manage the devices in our fleet,” Borts elaborated. “We used to have to focus on one device at a time, but we can now monitor all of them. We can see previews of every video stream, and we can send presets and update firmware in bulk.”

The Right People, The Right Product

While the Epiphan Video installation has been wildly successful for UNLV, Alaimo was careful to emphasize the importance of engaging in the right AV partnerships for the unique lecture capture needs of your institution: “The advice I would give other colleges and universities when it comes to selecting hardware for your classrooms is to partner with a good manufacturer, partner with good people, and partner with a good product that you can trust.” 

As for the end users at UNLV, all those “good” boxes have officially been checked with Pearl Nexus. Student Safiyya Bintali said, “Just knowing that a lecture is recorded—I can be present and engage in class. If I don't understand something 100 percent, I can always go back and review that online. It's definitely had a positive effect on both my learning and my grades.” 

This sentiment is shared by faculty members. In addition to helping their pupils who, for whatever reason, may need to miss class, Pearl Nexus frees up time for professors to provide more targeted help to struggling students. Debra Biordi-Fusaro, lecturer in accounting said, “Post-pandemic, students now demand lecture capture, where before it really wasn’t all that prevalent. They love being able to go back and study for quizzes or exams, or if they miss a class it’s always there waiting for them. It has also made a significant difference in after-class office hours. Instead of asking me to reteach a whole lecture, students can watch the lecture, then I tell them to come to see me and give more specific, concise questions on the subject matter at heart.”

All In on Innovation

One might be tempted to think that due to the added layer of modern convenience provided by lecture capture—in-person classroom engagement would suffer. But in fact, the inverse has proven true at UNLV since the adoption of Pearl Nexus: Engagement, attendance, and retention have all markedly improved.

Alaimo explained, “Learning has changed. Students can now watch classes on a phone, on an iPad, or on their lunch break while they're at work. It's no longer just four walls in a room with a lectern; it’s mobile. Despite this, our faculty have found that students are actually going to class more regularly with access to lecture capture. They're taking videos and watching them again at home—not watching them in place of going to class. They're picking up on the spots that they might have missed, or might not have understood in class.”

UNLV is the first school to fully standardize on Pearl Nexus—further cementing their status as a classroom technology trailblazer—and they’re not done yet. “As part of the digital transformation here at UNLV, Epiphan has helped us immensely with our lecture capture and I can't wait to see what happens in the future,” Alaimo concluded. “When it comes to Epiphan and the Pearl Nexus, we’re all in.”

There are several lines within the Panasonic PTZ family of products to cater to your goals and setup. The AW-UE100, AW-HE145, AW-UE150, and all-new AW-UE160 which make up our Platinum line, are equipped with advanced feature sets and the latest in sensor technology for mission-critical applications that demand the highest picture quality. Our Premium models, the AW-UE40/AW-UE50 and AW-UE80, are equipped with SRT geared toward streaming for lectures/auditoriums, corporate events, and house of worship services.  Our Zoom-certified Pro Series (AW-UE4, AW-HE20, AW-UE20) are perfect for streaming smaller spaces such as meeting spaces, boardrooms or classrooms.

[Virginia Tech Smart Classrooms Powered by Panasonic Connect]

For the Classroom The Lecture Capture solution incorporates Panasonic PTZ cameras, auto-tracking and Panopto LMS software to provide ease of use for teachers and students. Whether following a speaker or locking onto an object, the Lecture Capture technology turns on when you need it and comes off when you don’t need it.

With HyFlex and remote learning, and the trend toward the hybrid workforce continuing, Panasonic has announced a new all-in-one Lecture Capture and Auto Tracking solution to enhance information sharing and collaboration.

As education and corporate institutions accelerate digital transformation initiatives across hybrid settings, they need agile and flexible technology solutions. Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America (Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America) announced its new Lecture Capture and Auto Tracking Solution for recording and sharing lessons, meetings, and presentations in which cameras, advanced auto-tracking software, and servers work together to create an easy-to-use content and video management platform.

Panasonic is bringing together technology for a complete solution for customers in enterprise-level applications, such as higher education or corporate settings. The solution takes advantage of the facial auto tracking ability of Panasonic’s Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras by combining auto tracking server bundles and lecture capture content and video management systems. As more organizations, colleges and universities embrace hybrid environments, the solution enables organizations to foster heightened collaboration from all participants through an engaging visual experience. With support for IP video feed, installation is simple no matter the building architecture. The result of this advanced, easy-to-use technology is an all-in-one system that enables teachers, students, and corporate employees to deliver engaging content while enhancing productivity and lesson planning in today’s high-flex, hybrid environments.

[ Panasonic Launches New PTZ Camera Series ]

“Whether learning or working, critical information must be easily accessible regardless of whether it’s delivered in a physical or digital environment – and in real time or after the fact,” said John Kaloukian, director of solutions and services of the Professional Imaging and Visual Systems Group at Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. “Technology bridges the divide of hybrid settings ensuring that information is delivered in an engaging and accessible way and sustains this next normal of work. Our new lecture capture solution offers organizations opportunities for enhanced collaboration and productivity from all participants.”

When used alongside additional AV technology, like Panasonic’s digital wireless microphone system within its professional audio portfolio, the Lecture Capture and Auto Tracking Solution eliminates many challenges of hybrid work and learning. 

Panasonic offers three flexible, easy to install and simple to manage packages to support customers with various operating environments. This includes:

·       A two or four channel Auto Tracking-capable server,

·       A full, hybrid Lecture Capture-capable server, which uses the capabilities of auto tracking and file management all within one solution.

By equipping educators and workers with digital tools to integrate lectures and supporting materials, they can effectively reach their audiences without any strain on the presenter using the system. Centered around accessibility and character recognition, the lecture hall or meeting space remains front and center to the presenter and its audiences.

[ Panasonic Enhances Kairos With Agile I/O Feature ]

“We’ve all experienced video fatigue in recent times. With traditional lecture capture technology offering a simple video or audio recording, viewers can easily be bored or disengaged,” said Jason Shelton, senior solutions development manager, Business Development at Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. “Presentations now require so much more than a talking head, but rather a multi-source, fully sensory experience. Now, presentations in any setting can be performed and delivered with crisp visuals and accurate tracking of the speaker offering more pathways to listen, comprehend and engage.”

With the increasing need for streaming and video conferencing in hybrid environments, integrators are looking for solutions that are easy-to-use for the end user. 

HuddleCamHD, a manufacturer of affordable USB-based video conferencing cameras and audio solutions, announced the release of the SimplTrack Lite, a plug-and-play auto-tracking camera. Featuring flexible options for nearly any setting, the SimplTrack Lite has built-in compatibility for a range of system configurations.

“With the streaming and video conferencing markets continuing to see high demand, we wanted to design an auto-tracking camera that just worked,” said Matt Davis, director of technology and information systems at HuddleCamHD and sister company PTZOptics. “The SimplTrack Lite truly is a plug-and-play solution. It relies on facial framing and auto-tracking as soon as it’s turned on, so whether you’re recording a lecture or streaming a worship service, the video looks great from moment one.”

Auto-Tracking with Ease

The HuddleCamHD SimplTrack Lite automatically creates smooth tracking shots without the need for technology expertise or a camera operator. Users can simply unbox the camera, plug it into a USB 2.0 connection, and start recording or streaming with motion tracking: no software setup required. Thanks to its 20X optical zoom, the 1080p camera can be positioned up to 50 feet away from the subject. With a 59.5-degree field of view and 270 degrees of rotation, those being recorded are free to move about the tracking area.

The camera can also be configured with specific preset tracking zones via a simple, one-time setup process. Preset zones can keep the camera centered on specific areas like whiteboards or conference tables.

[ HuddleCamHD Rolls Out NDI Technology ]

Built-In Compatibility

The SimplTrack Lite is fully compatible with most video conferencing, lecture capture, and learning management systems and can be easily integrated with practically any existing hardware due to its range of included output options: NDI|HX, USB, IP, SDI and HDMI.  The camera features 3.5mm audio jack for an external mic, and it can also capture audio using a computer’s built-in microphone when connected via USB. 

[ Yamaha UC and HuddleCamHD Design Meeting Room Conferencing Packages ]

Flexible Options for Any Deployment

Featuring PoE, along with multiple mounting configurations, the SimplTrack Lite can adapt to any indoor setting. Users that are looking for more control can enable Manual Mode via IP or included RS-232 cable to operate the camera with the included IR remote, a PTZ camera joystick controller, or camera control apps. The SimplTrack Lite comes with an IR remote, USB 2.0 cable, an RS-232 control cable, power supply, a three-year parts and labor warranty, and a quick start guide that will get users up and running with the camera in no time.

Available for $1,649, the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack Lite auto-tracking camera provides a user-friendly solution to all streaming and video conferencing needs. 

Distance learning has been around a long time, but recent events have made it mandatory for schools at every level to be able to conduct all manner of school business remotely when needed. Distance learning is fast becoming a permanent option at many schools—at least as a hybrid option—so it has become important for institutions to improve their networked audio accordingly.

While some colleges and universities already had state-of-the-art AV systems in place, many did not. When the pandemic hit, the priority was installing any system that worked. 

Now, 18 months later, schools—both higher ed and K-12—are looking to install technology that can improve audio intelligibility and meet all their needs in a more permanent capacity.

Know What Schools Are Looking For

The best way to service schools is to understand their needs. Sound quality is first and foremost, but easy installation, ease-of-use, and contactless functionality are all important. Schools’ IT departments are taking on more responsibility, and they might not be familiar with the newest AV technology. A good partner must help them understand the competitive offerings.

[ Audio Advancements and Sound Strategies for Hybrid Learning Spaces ] 

Academic institutions have a huge need to build out their classrooms with remote learning capabilities, from advanced UC systems with integrated lecture capture to an instructor in the room teaching the entire class remotely. There’s an increased need for high speech intelligibility and high audio fidelity within these environments so students stay engaged and understand the content.

Additionally, schools are doing their utmost to keep students and staff healthy and safe. For in-room systems, there is increased demand for sharing information wirelessly to minimize physical contact with potentially contaminated shared devices like keyboards and mice.

Keeping the Focus on Education, Not on Technology

When working with schools, the vendor’s mission should always be for the technology to blend seamlessly into the background—allowing educators to stay focused on teaching instead of on their AV equipment.

Classrooms increasingly require flexible, high-performance microphones and loudspeakers. The latest ceiling microphones provide voice tracking (Beamtracking, a Biamp trademark) technology that maintains a consistent audio quality for remote participants regardless of where the person speaking is situated. For example, if a teacher is facing away from the microphone, perhaps writing at the whiteboard or moving around the room, remote attendees still experience consistently clear audio. An added benefit of Beamtracking microphones is that they don’t require lobe aiming, saving significantly on installation time.

[ Biamp AV Solutions Support Hybrid Learning ] 

From the network aspect, port count on network switches and cost per port is a significant way to look at project costs; the more ports that you’re using, the higher the system costs. Some of Biamp’s products, like the new TesiraFORTÉ X line or TesiraCONNECT, can power all the devices in a learning space so only a single port is required on the infrastructure switch for control and monitoring of the entire room.

We’ve seen some universities expanding their audio capabilities even further. Using a product like Biamp’s Crowd Mics—an audience engagement tool that allows students to use their smartphones as a microphone that connects with the room’s loudspeakers—creates a consistent audio experience in which students can be heard clearly from anywhere in the room. Remote participants can also use their smartphones similarly to speak to the rest of the class or text questions to the instructor.

[ Biamp's Rashid Skaf on the Company's Future ] 

An Eye Toward the Future

The past year and a half clearly demonstrated that the future of education requires greater emphasis on AV solutions, whether students are in the classroom or joining remotely. New modes of learning require a much more robust AV system design than in the past, and these AV investments will provide a seamless classroom experience no matter where students are located.

John Urban is product marketing manager at Biamp.

This article originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of SCN. Click here to read more stories from November 2021.

The What: HARMAN Professional Solutions introduced six products for meeting and lecture spaces outfitted with software-based conferencing platforms like Zoom and Teams. The debut includes four Precis PR-Series matrix switchers supporting up to eight sources and eight outputs; the Precis PR-WP-412 windowing processor, which is able to dynamically window up to four sources; and the UVC1-4K HDMI to USB 3.0 capture device.

Precis PR-Series Matrix Switchers: Ideal for affordable video routing in small to medium installations, the Precis PR-Series Matrix Switchers are available in four configurations: 4x2, 6x2, 4x4, and 8x8. All models include pixel-for-pixel video reproduction, fast switching, comprehensive EDID management, HDMI audio de-embedding, an open control API, and a simple-to-use web interface. The PR-0402 also supports auto-switching to provide touch-free video switching in small applications.

AMX PR-WP-412 Windowing Processor: The AMX PR-WP-412 is both versatile and cost-effective, combining a 4x1+1 windowing and a 4x2 seamless matrix switcher in a single, compact unit. Collaboration in meetings and distance learning can be enhanced and amplified with included technologies like truly seamless switching, 4K60 4:4:4 video quality, integrated audio breakaway, an open control API, and a simple-to-use web interface.

UVC1-4K Capture Device: The UVC1-4K capture device solves the immediate issue of PCs that lack HDMI or other video inputs. The UVC1-4K seamlessly delivers content from video cameras, document cameras, or other HDMI sources into software-based conferencing and streaming applications via the computer’s USB port. Features include 4K60 4:4:4 video input, HDMI and separate analog audio input, standard UVC interface and control, and USB 3.0 output up to 3840 x 2160p @ 30fps.

The Bottom Line: According to Harman, this suite of products ensures users are equipped to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of the modern collaboration space. As well, the products simplify AV management for almost any application. 

With the early 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Clara University, California’s oldest higher education, institution was faced with the challenge of making a complete shift to remote learning. Thankfully, SCU’s existing Matrox Maevex 6020 Remote Recorder appliance and Panopto video management system (VMS) lecture capture solution enabled the university to integrate Maevex 6020 devices and deploy them quickly across all buildings, allowing SCU students and faculty to transition seamlessly from the classroom to the remote learning platform.

A Sustainable Solution

In 2016, SCU started using the Panopto VMS in combination with a Windows-based, computer-and-capture card solution that was built, imaged, and maintained by the university’s media systems team. Not only did this solution require a tremendous amount of time to build and maintain in-house, it was also far too labor-intensive to manage with a small staff. Furthermore, unexpected updates and shutdowns of the systems made it particularly difficult for the team to maintain uniformity across devices. Lacking configuration for mass deployment software, the Windows-based solution required security and software updates that forced staff to manually update each system one at a time. 

[How NYU Equipped Campus for HyFlex Education]

Three years later, the team began to realize that this solution was unsustainable in the long term and began to look for alternatives in order to save on time, resources, and cost. A turnkey solution that comes fully integrated with the university’s existing preferred VMS, Maevex 6020 turned out to be the perfect fit. Between the standalone appliance’s ability to function without unexpected operating system updates, its configuration and firmware utility for centralized control of the devices, and its highly competitive price point with no reoccurring licensing fees, Maevex 6020 was a clear choice. 

According to Joel Bennett, manager of media systems at SCU, Maevex 6020 made a vast difference right away—from integration to deployment. “It is so much simpler,” he said. “Once the AV installers install the unit, I can do everything from my desk. Before, I would have had staff here, working, building, and installing. Maevex 6020 has significantly reduced our workload.”

Seamless Transition

While Maevex 6020 was the ideal match for SCU’s streaming and recording needs since it first arrived on campus, its reliability and ease of integration became paramount to the university’s remote learning transition in early 2020. Just after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., the university was able to deploy 60 Maevex 6020 units for a current total of over 100 appliances in just 30 days. Using the intuitive configuration and firmware utility, Maevex 6020 made mass deployment easier, allowing for the configuration and simultaneous setup of multiple units in record time. Now, every common classroom across all five academic colleges on campus is equipped with a Maevex 6020 device, providing access to streamed classes and lecture capture recordings for the university’s nearly 10,000 students.

[How USC's Joe Way Anticipated the HyFlex Campus Revolution] 

“Maevex 6020 was helpful when we first acquired it, but when the pandemic hit, it became irreplaceable,” Bennett said. “We were able to deploy several recorders in just a small amount of time. I do not think that we could have built and supported that many of our previous solutions in that time period. Matrox allowed us to focus our time and resources on other tasks because everything from the installation to deployment was so simple.”  

California Streamin’

SCU leverages Maevex 6020’s dual Full HD streaming and recording functionality by simultaneously streaming and recording all lecture videos and content in 1080p30 in order to match the setting on the hardware devices. The Maevex 6020 device and Panopto platform are capable of streaming up to 1080p60 on one channel, and 1080p30 on the second if desired.

Stream and record operations are securely controlled by the Panopto Cloud VMS and scheduled ahead of time with the full capabilities of the Panopto software scheduler. Additionally, all Zoom meetings are streamed as a backup in the event that the Zoom live stream fails. 

Each classroom is equipped with a single camera in the back of the room as well as a ceiling microphone that picks up audio from both the students and faculty. Course content is provided by an in-room Mac or PC, or a faculty member’s personal laptop, which is fed into a switcher device. On the Maevex 6020, the camera is fed into HDMI 1, the switcher is fed into HDMI 2, and the audio is fed into the analog input. SCU is also leveraging the Maevex 6020’s HDMI zero-latency pass-through output to connect an HDMI-to-USB bridge to convert the audio and video into USB for Zoom calls.

Grade-A Support

Instances where Bennett and his team needed to contact Matrox technical support were met with Matrox speed, efficiency, and attention to detail. According to Bennett, the service he received allowed him to quickly feel supported and at ease with the equipment. “From the beginning, Matrox was incredibly responsive,” Bennett said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of technical support groups and I’ve never experienced one like Matrox. It was very clear that they were taking our inquiries seriously, wanted to understand them, and they were a high-priority to address.”

Distance Learning

For now, Maevex 6020 remains an integral part of SCU’s remote learning strategy, but it will not be going anywhere when students come back to campus. With plans to add over 40 new units to its lecture capture setup, including one unit for each classroom and conference room in its new academic building, Bennett and his team at SCU could not be happier with Maevex 6020. According to Bennett, the multi-site control and maintenance of Maevex 6020 has made everyone’s workdays significantly easier. “For any school in need of a remote learning system, I highly recommend the Maevex 6020 and Panopto combination,” he said. “The difference this solution has made compared to our previous one is like night and day.” 

Lecture capture for online education was already skyrocketing in importance over the past few years. Now, it’s now become essential for all institutions. To help facilitate this, Extron developed the SMP 351, a high-performance recording and streaming processor for capturing and distributing AV sources and presentations. Designed for simple control and flexibility, it’s able to record and stream simultaneously and can stream at two different resolutions and bitrates concurrently using a range of transport protocols and session management options. So just how intuitive and powerful is it?

Capabilities

A primary reason to have this unit is, of course, to record. There are plenty of options available in this system. It allows you to record to an internal hard drive, has multiple connections for USB drives, can save to a network share, and can send the information over a single- or dual-RTMP stream, which can be used in a number of ways. The SMP can be integrated into Kaltura, Panopto, and Opencast for content publishing and live streams, and it can publish live streams directly to Facebook Live, YouTube, Wowza, Twich, and others via RTMP. The system even allows for dual recording, so you can set up an automatic archive. This is very helpful for livestreamed productions that will later be edited for time and content and uploaded. Plus, it’s good just to have the raw footage available. 

You can’t be too careful when it comes to capturing important events, and this system has a lot of failover options. You can easily set up backup streams, secondary recordings, and failover recording locations. According to the user manual, it can support a maximum of two encodes, one local output, one recording, and livestreaming simultaneously, and we were able to replicate that with ease. It can also be configured to record in two locations at once and livestream along with many other configurations. The versatility and ease of setup is second to none.

Configuration

When it comes time to set up a recording, the system has a built-in calendar so you can automate the process by scheduling a start time. The unit supports iCal feeds, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Office 365/Exchange scheduling, as well as scheduling with the company’s integration with both Kaltura and Panopto. It also supports Kaltura and Opencast APIs, which can be used to streamline the process even more. 

If you have any problems getting things started, the system has a great toolset for configuration as well as for troubleshooting. Image formatting and color correction can be performed on each input independently. It’s easy to fine tune all of the inputs through a single location, and statistics about the incoming signals are available in multiple locations. If you are having connection issues, you can ping, tracert, or Nmap directly from the interface. This is very handy when trying to iron out network connection troubles. 

Setting up a confidence monitor is easy: simply plug it in and the presenter can preview exactly what is being sent to the recorder. There are several preset layouts available along with the ability to design a custom layout, choose background images, metadata location, and configure the window size and layout. 

Operation

We conducted some testing with Extron SMD 202 decoders that the company supplied to simulate content sources. (In a real-world scenario, users would typically connect computer sources, cameras, document cameras, and the like.) The SMD decoders are fan-less and produce no noise, a beneficial attribute when the SMP and source decoders are installed within a lectern or near students in a room. (The decoders or other main switching and source units they connect to do have fans, but those can be easily moved away into a network closet. The ability to professionally rack-mount these products is also a plus. We are often surprised when supposedly “professional” AV equipment, specifically recording equipment, is not rack mountable.) Surprisingly, audio processing is more than simple gain control. It also has tone adjustment, compression, and a section for ducking. 

In our test, the SMP 352 proved to be highly versatile for recording. The user interface is great, and it is easy to understand while providing advanced features. We were impressed by the amount of control available to format signals, as well as the options to save data. You can set up custom overscan or even custom-sample the signal to improve quality for scaling. After you get everything tuned exactly the way you want it, save it as a preset and you can apply it to other inputs if they require similar settings or have presets for various lighting concerns. 

Concerns

Potential buyers of this product should be aware that while it does have video switching, the primary function of the device is to record and stream and not to be a production video switcher—thus, there are no features like transitions, chromakey/lumakey/transparency, or echo canceling and noise reduction. The switching is a little on the slower side, but it’s not designed as a seamless production switcher, so this isn’t an issue in most applications for which the device is intended. Video input and encoding is only supported up to 1080p30 (the unit accepts 1080p60 signals), but for the majority of lecture capture scenarios, that’s fine. It does however let you adjust the GOP length, so you can balance how much bandwidth is consumed with optimum image quality. 

Conclusion

In summary, this is a great option for anyone looking to make recordings of their streaming video. It provides a nice balance of power and intuitiveness, and has a wide array of features that provide all the tools needed without feeling cluttered. This would be ideal for use in corporate, education, government, healthcare, courtrooms, houses of worship, rental and staging, and many other applications.

The Technology Manager's Guide to Transformative Classroom Solutions

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Classroom Solutions

With many campuses still closed, universities have the opportunity now to outfit their spaces with new solutions for in-person education. Manufacturers share their latest developments designed to boost the classroom experience. 

Hybrid Solutions

One of the hottest buzzwords these days is HyFlex. Standing for hybrid-flexible, the term represents the structuring of educational solutions to accommodate the complex mix of in-class and remote students that universities will be juggling this fall. Manufacturers share their solutions developed to ease this process.

Remote Solutions

Distance learning had been a major area of focus for universities for some time. Now, it’s a necessity. Manufacturers discuss their latest developments designed to elevate the experience for remote learners.

Download the Technology Manager's Guide to Transformative Classroom Solutions.

COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of videoconferencing technology—it became the way we stayed in touch while working, learning, and living remote from one another. As the pandemic response evolves, most organizations are transitioning to a hybrid model, where some are on campus or in the office while others join in from remote locations.

Not only will AV technology be needed in rooms where it was not before, but there is also an increased need for specific technologies like automated camera solutions. To accommodate social distancing, those on site will need to gather in larger spaces with fewer people in them. Smaller huddle rooms will be used less frequently. More rooms will need to be equipped for videoconferencing since meetings or classes that did not involve remote participants before now will.

In the past, to capture a corporate training session or university lecture for later viewing, a single camera and lavalier mic may have been sufficient. Now, customers are demanding AV integrators to install more cameras and mics in a room so that all participants can be seen and heard, not just the presenter. While working from home, people have become accustomed to the close-up views they see in laptop-based conferencing: one person per webcam. They will expect the same close-up views of those in larger meeting spaces. A wide shot of a large room with people socially distanced will not be effective when presented gallery style; no one would be visible in the small frame of the conferencing platform. 

But if the cameras in the classroom or meeting room focus on whoever is speaking or presenting, the far end participants will see them up close, just like all remote participants. Automated camera solutions make this possible with no IT staff needed and touch-free operation.

An auto-tracking camera can follow a presenter as they move about so remote participants see them and can see what they write on a blackboard. Voice-activated camera switching solutions that work in larger spaces by detecting where the audio is coming from based on the mics in the room can automatically control high definition PTZ cameras with 20x zoom to cut to the best camera and focus on whoever is speaking. People appear larger on screen, closer to how they would if they were directly in front of a webcam. With a minimal number of properly placed cameras around a room, good camera angles are possible for all participants.

Universities and corporations are all adopting this technology now. Universities are motivated to give students the best possible hybrid experience, so they do not defer their educations, and schools have CARES Act funding to support this goal. Corporations want employees to remain motivated and engaged and productive.

Upgrading rooms now is an investment for the future as well. Hybrid work and learning is not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic; flexible work and learning options are here to stay.

Rony Sebok spoke at the 2020 AV/IT Summit on AV in a Post-COVID-19 World panel. 

The What: The Kaltura FlexOS App now seamlessly enables Extron SMP 300 Series streaming media processors to ingest recording and live streaming schedules for publishing to the Kaltura video management platform. 

The What Else: The new Kaltura FlexOS App brings enhanced capabilities that enable SMP Series token authentication with the Kaltura video platform. Benefits include improved security and the ability to schedule live SMP streams for webcasting in Kaltura as well as M4A publishing for audio-only recordings. The Enhanced Kaltura Features LinkLicense is required to activate scheduling and live streaming of lectures and presentations to the Kaltura platform.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming 

"Extron is very excited to bring new capabilities and value to our customers using our SMP Series along with the Kaltura video platform," said Casey Hall, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Extron. "Having a simple way to support ad-hoc and scheduled recordings as well as live streaming with fully automated publishing to Kaltura helps organizations easily deliver online content in support of virtual classrooms and remote learning requirements.”

The Bottom Line: This integration with Kaltura creates a unified and integrated experience with automated publishing workflows that ensure each recording and live stream is seamlessly delivered to viewers.

The What: Maxell Pro AV is shipping its Lecture Capture Collaboration Station, MA-XL1, which is designed to help instructors bring a greater level of normalcy to remote learning.

The What Else: The Lecture Capture Collaboration System is designed to record, save, and stream content with a simple menu screen. Professors can simultaneously share up to three different inputs on the screen at the same time. With simultaneous inputs, professors and administration can share a video of themselves, a computer presentation, and another input, such as a document camera, to help students learn and follow along as if they are there in person. 

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming

The MA-XL1 allows presenters to record and publish lectures or save notes from interactive lessons so students can view content online at their convenience. The MA-XL1 is built with 10 input terminals including HDMI, SDI, RGB, and LAN ports compatible with third-party equipment including computers, tablets, cameras, smartphones, and document cameras, making it easier for instructors to find compatible equipment in their own homes. In addition, it supports TCP/IP, RS232C control commands, USB ports for external storage and HID mouse devices, Bluetooth speaker-microphones, mini-pin audio and phoenix audio in/out. Plus, the MA-XL1 includes 1TB internal HDD capacity.

“The switch to online learning was very sudden, and a lot of professors have had to find new ways to adjust their lesson plans to be able to work online,” said Mike Morin, business development sales manager, Maxell. “Many higher education institutions are looking for new equipment that will not only make the transition to online easy for professors but will also make it easy to offer more online classes in the future. We are seeing a big shift in the higher education industry as many institutions are looking to use this time to learn about how to expand their capabilities in the future.”

The Bottom Line: At the beginning of 2020, nearly 70 percent of the 1.5 million American educators had never taught online. Now, five months into the year, many higher education institutions across the country have had to switch to online learning for all classes. In these uncertain times, education tools like the new Maxell Lecture Capture Collaboration Station help instructors and students interact, engage and learn as they adjust to remote learning dynamics.

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The What: Maxell has announced its new Lecture Capture Collaboration Station, the MA-XL1, for K-12 and higher education facilities.

The What Else: The Lecture Capture Collaboration System is designed to record, save, and stream content simultaneously with a simple menu screen. Ten different audio/video sources are available, and users can choose three to use simultaneously during the recording/streaming session. Featuring interactive content switching, instant playback, record-stream-upload capabilities, remote classroom collaboration, and an interactive white board, the new system is well suited for education facilities to manage multiple video sources and the displayed image on the main screen of the classroom or meeting room.

[The Latest in Lecture Capture]

“Education is becoming increasingly digital and teachers are looking for better ways to connect with students,” said Mike Morin, higher education sales manager at Maxell. “The new Lecture Capture Collaboration System encourages teachers and students to collaborate both in the classroom and outside of it. Student needs are supported, and teachers are able to easily provide content online.”

Teachers can record and publish lectures or save notes from the interactive lessons so students can view content online at their convenience. This saves time for teachers and makes it easier for students to find and review class materials. The remote collaboration feature allows teachers to present from thousands of miles away as if they were in the same room as their students, so nothing gets in the way of a lesson plan.

Uploading capabilities allow students to focus on the lecture instead of having to worry about taking extensive notes. When lessons are uploaded to the cloud, users can go back and view lectures whenever it is convenient for them. Live streaming is also available so students can attend class from anywhere with an internet connection.

The MA-XL1 is built with 10 input terminals including HDMI, SDI, RGB, and LAN ports compatible with third-party equipment including computers, tablets, cameras, smartphones, and document cameras. In addition, it supports TCP/IP, RS232C control commands, USB ports for external storage and HID mouse devices, Bluetooth speaker-microphones, mini-pin audio, and phoenix audio in/out. Plus, the MA-XL1 includes 1TB internal HDD capacity.

The MA-XL1 comes with several accessories including a power adaptor, power cord, Bluetooth antenna, DIDO connector, two balanced line connectors, USB number keyboard stickers, rack mount bracket and screws, a concise manual and a URL sheet. Additionally, users are backed by the Maxell technical support team.

The Bottom Line: The new multifunctional tool is designed to give operators the power to upload interactive video content and collaborate with classrooms across remote locations while keeping students fully engaged in the lesson. Outside the classroom, the Maxell Lecture Capture system is also well suited for managing content in corporate settings including conference rooms, training centers, conventions, and multi-room business meetings.

Since November 2017, Sony Electronics has worked alongside faculty and administration from 11 colleges and universities in the U.S. to gain a better understanding of the role technology plays in teaching and learning. For the past two years, this group of public and private schools, known as The Future Learning Collaborative, have held regular meetings, summits, and trips to discuss the education landscape and ways to incorporate new technology and design insights that create a more meaningful, collaborative, and engaging learning environment.

Since the Future Learning Collaborative’s launch, higher ed members have tested forthcoming and new Sony technology and helped to influence the design and development of these educational products and solutions, based on real-world input and validation.

In the past year, the focus of the community of practice was to deepen the co-creation between members and Sony, as well as to explore ways to create more active learning opportunities. To meet this goal, member schools have begun implementing “Sandboxes,” a designated learning environment equipped with Sony’s early-stage technology for the purpose of testing, experimenting, and validating potential new applications, use cases, and user experiences. The sandboxes are used as dedicated spaces for testing among faculty and students.

In addition, meetings were held during the group’s “Japan Vision Summit” in Tokyo in March 2019, which provided a collaborative for coalition members to meet with Sony executives and educational leaders from Japanese universities to explore trends, share ideas, and discuss best practices for technology implementation, in addition to offering time to interact with the latest products and solutions and understand Sony’s future goals and global direction. This provided member schools with an opportunity to discuss their vision for instructional design and plan a more strategic alliance with the Sony brand.

“After two years of consistent dialog between Sony and the Future Learning Collaborative, we’re energized and proud of the community we’ve built from the group up,” said Satoshi Kanemura, VP of PPSG of America, Sony Electronics. “We value the deeper discussions we’ve been facilitating as we gain a new level of trust and understanding that goes beyond the traditional customer/vendor relationship. As we look to 2020 and beyond, we seek to collaboratively design the classroom of the future through more extensive sandbox testing. We also remain focused on working together to validate new products and solutions, while surfacing valuable feedback, research, and findings that benefit member schools, Sony, and the education community at large.”

“American University is excited to be part of the sandbox program which allows us to rigorously evaluate cutting edge technologies in authentic learning spaces and settings on-site,” said Kiho Kim, PhD, executive director, Center for Teaching, Research & Learning, American University. “In doing so, we are able to gather real-world assessments of how to best deploy these solutions to enhance student learning.”

“Duke's activity in the sandbox is picking up steam, with active deployment of one technology and plans for tests of another,” said Edward D. Gomes, Jr., senior associate dean, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University. “We expect to see immediate value for Duke University once these products are implemented. We are confident Sony and other members of the collaborative will benefit greatly from the results of our joint efforts.”

Recently launched Sony solutions that have been tested in conjunction with Future Learning Collaborative schools include Vision Exchange, for interactive presentations and active learning; Edge Analytics, an AI-based video analytics solution; and the UbiCast interactive video learning solution, among others, in addition to solutions still under development.

Charter members of the Collaborative include experts from the following institutions:

• American University
• Arizona State University
• Dartmouth College
• Duke University
• Houston Community College
• Indiana University
• Montclair State University
• Northwestern University
• San Francisco State University
• University of California San Diego
• University of Central Florida

The What: 1 Beyond has begun shipping the 1 Beyond AutoTracker 3 camera with NDI, enabling universities, corporations, and government organizations to add automatic presenter tracking to AV over IP workflows.

The What Else: The camera produces high- and low-resolution NDI video streams and the bitrate of the stream is adjustable in the camera. Once the camera is configured over the network, it can be controlled from any third-party control device that supports VISCA over IP to turn tracking on or off.

NewTek’s NDI technology is the most widely adopted IP technology on the market and a built-in NDI | HX encoder allows the camera to provide video streams that can be viewed by NDI-compatible software or hardware devices anywhere on the same network. 

[Feature: The Latest in Lecture Capture]

The AutoTracker 3 camera with NDI retains the key features of previous AutoTracker versions which include seamless tracking, high-quality Sony sensor, dual 1080p or 720p HD-SDI output, PoE+ power, 20x optical zoom, and automatic camera functions such as focus and white balance.

Only a single standard network cable needs be connected to the AutoTracker 3 camera with NDI to provide power, control, and the NDI video stream, making it cost- and time-effective to scale presenter tracking across multiple rooms.

“1 Beyond AutoTracker 3 cameras with NDI now not only feature the leading auto tracking technology but also are the easiest to integrate into rooms,” said Terry Cullen, founder and CEO of 1 Beyond.

The Bottom Line: Using a combination of facial and motion detection to enable seamless speaker tracking, AutoTracker is well suited for lecture capture, videoconferencing, training, and many other applications at universities and corporations, eliminating the need for camera or system operators.

AutoTracker 3 cameras with NDI are shipping immediately and are priced at $7,595. 

One of the most transformative technologies shaping higher education is lecture capture—providing students and professors alike with tools to enhance and revisit lessons, and for remote students to engage with the course material. More than one million videos are created annually with the Mediasite solution alone, with 40-plus-million views annually. Advancements, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), are promising to take this engaging technological category even further.

Skyrocketing Demand

At an institutional level, Indiana University has been using lecture capture solutions since 2010. Since the first-generation systems were installed, “We've tried to make it available to everyone,” said James Scott McGookey, manager of collaboration technologies at Indiana University.

IU deploys lecture capture in various ways. Classrooms have their own installed PCs with software enabling lecture capture, so every classroom is capable of offering lecture capture at a minimum level. For IU, that translates into 700 classrooms, approximately. With lecture capture enabled across myriad spaces—from regional locations to departmental spaces to and university-owned classrooms—the uniting factor must be ease of use. As McGookey explained, “We've worked with our vendors over the years to create something that's incredibly easy to use.”

Joel Bennett, media services, Santa Clara University (SCU), is also managing a diverse array of capture spaces. “We have 70 capture stations,” he said. “The primary usage is classroom recordings, and we do about a thousand recordings per month across campus.” 

SCU is currently using the Matrox Maevex 6020 remote recorder and Panopto VMS. From academic lecture needs to classrooms, “everything's distributed through Canvas—that's how the students access the content,” Bennett noted.

[AI Meets AV in Higher Ed]

The lecture capture figures are impressive at the University of Pennsylvania. “We've been hovering around 25,000 hours a year,” said Jimmy Lieu, IT director of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. “That number has been going up about 10 to 15 percent every year.” 

Why such a dramatic spike? Lieu has observed that when the technology first rolled out, faculty were hesitant to do lecture capture, because “they thought that if we distributed lectures online, students wouldn’t come to class. But we're seeing a bigger push from today's generation of students. They are actually pushing lecture capture, not as a tool to replace class, but as a tool to review it and get even more out of it.”

Ease of Use

Customization where and when possible has been beneficial, said McGookey. He pointed to a pivotal moment a few years ago when IU made a vendor change. The team was then able to craft a software solution that would make lecture capture operation even easier for instructors. “When the faculty member logs into the in-room computer, they press the big red button. That's it. That's all they have to do to make a recording. You just can't make it any easier than that.”

AV Infrastructure and ROI

First things first: For a lecture capture system to deliver its ROI, reliable cameras and proper microphones are vital. When it comes to audio, one size does not fit all. Acoustics vary from space to space. Audio’s inherent variables also affect lecture capture system design, so understanding the use case is paramount. What happens, for example, when one room houses a faculty member in the morning with an active learning class who wants to record every single conversation and every activity in that room, but the professor who enters the room next prefers straight lecture—recording no student engagements nor papers rustling? One best practice is finding a microphone system that is both reliable and flexible enough to meet the needs of both whole-room and single presenter capture.

System Requirements

For tech teams running lecture capture over a wired Ethernet infrastructure, having good network bandwidth on the wired network is absolutely critical. 

Room-by-room management works for Wharton. As Lieu explained, “We tried to keep everything contained within a room. If we lose the network, video capture will still happen. We can still turn our rooms on and off without having to traverse the network just to be able to do so.” This approach helps Lieu make every classroom as usable as possible.

Wharton also deploys a lecture capture box in every single classroom, paired with Magewell capture cards, a system controller, and the room system all driven by a touchpanel interface. 

Cloud Capture

While Wharton appreciates the room containment, Lieu noted that Wharton uses Panopto for lecture capture, equipped with a cloud-based service. 

[How It's Done: Integrated Production Environments for Lecture Capture and Conferences]

“One of the biggest reasons why we use [Panopto] is because, even if our clients are not connected to the cloud, we're able to still kick off scheduled recordings, as long as the schedule got there before we lost the network. We can also start clients from our classroom touchpanel through RS-232 control, removing any dependency on the network.”

From Lecture Capture to Classroom Capture

IU thinks about the technology in the terms of “classroom capture,” not just lecture capture, because stakeholders want to promote active learning and keep everything deeply interactive.

There are many classroom activities that are not necessarily lectures that would benefit from a recording. For example, in a 100-level speech class, students can make their recordings using the same tools that faculty use for lecture capture. Students can record assignments or as practice for an upcoming presentation. “This is a shift for us,” McGookey said, “not to focus exclusively on the ‘lecture capture’ piece, and to think about enhancing engagement more broadly.”

Pedagogical First

Across the higher ed landscape, online learning, flipped learning, and other permutations of cyberlearning are gathering traction. But lecture capture itself doesn’t constitute an effective online learning program. “Lecture capture, on its own, is not an online strategy,” McGookey said. 

A robust online program should incorporate best practices gleaned from instructional designers. Lecture capture should serve as a tool, not the core, of a cogent online learning experience.

Classroom Capture and AR

Augmented reality (AR) and holographic projections are being explored in higher education as ways to enhance lecture capture and telepresence. Lieu expressed interest in technologies that might help to facilitate distance learning without students feeling like they are indeed distant, or “that you're being spoken to by a head on the screen,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be amazing to [project] a professor into the middle of the room to teach a class remotely?” he enthused.

While still on the bleeding edge, newer technologies like AR eventually do “come into the classroom and interact with our AV technology.” 

The bottom line, according to Lieu: “We want to get away from the teaching through PowerPoint.” More fully featured classroom capture is one strategy. 

Accessibility

Another driver for lecture capture is its relationship to accommodations vis-à-vis a school’s disability services. By having lecture capture tools in place, higher ed stakeholders can make it easier to capture what's happening in the room to get it closed-captioned or create transcripts for those students who require accommodations.

Scaling Up and Big Picture Planning

Phase one is making a system work in a specific classroom, but once a tech team starts to scale up, it can become challenging. A best practice is implementing a solution that users can grow with and scale up from the beginning. 

At IU, standardization has been useful. “Standarization of AV in our classrooms has allowed us to scale,” McGookey said. “Coming up with those standards so that faculty know what to expect when they walk into different classrooms—a baseline of AV capabilities.” IU also tries to think about AV in the classroom holistically, putting “all the relevant people together on the same team so they can think about workflow.” 

Standardizing doesn’t mean compromising on functionality. “Our systems are more complex and expensive than the average university's,” added SCU’s Joel Bennett. “We’ve standardized on providing a pan/tilt/zoom camera with control from our AV system for the end users, where a decent portion of the universities are just doing a fixed camera and sometimes a fixed USB camera in the room.” He is also moving to a Linux device. Prior to that, SCU had spent about 10 years running a Windows-based system with capture cards. With security updates, it's became unmanageable.

Having the right management tools in place is another key. IU is using Matrox appliances in about 60 classrooms; Matrox supplies the management tool for the team to monitor devices and usage, and push firmware updates when needed. 

Future of Classroom Capture

Tech managers are also watching AV over IP closely with relation to classroom capture. Imagine tapping into a live stream—any stream—and recording it.

Without one dominant standard, and proprietary solutions still quite popular, some silos remain. However, the industry is starting to see consolidation and interoperability. McGookey looks forward to a time when “we'll just have a camera that's a PoE camera that can stream out and be received somewhere remotely. Who knows where it's going to be received? That will be our lecture capture, but we're not quite there yet.”

What are Key Trends in Lecture Capture in 2019?  

“Wider adoption of AutoTracking cameras and early adoption of AV over IP. Many schools are just now recognizing the cost savings that come from installing AutoTracker cameras and the improved video that results, saving on staffing costs and freeing the presenter to walk around. Early adopters of AV over IP are finding cost savings from simplified cabling. Also, nascent standards like NDI and Dante AV over IP will, eventually, take over from traditional SDI/HDMI implementations.” —Rony Sebok, VP, 1Beyond

What Do Younger Users Want?

“Generation Z students still want a traditional developmental college experience, but schools must figure out what that looks like in the ever-changing educational landscape. Technologies like streaming video have an unparalleled ability to deliver information where and when these digital native students want it. There is massive potential in higher education for artificial intelligence to offer the Netflix model for learning, a la using AI to suggest relevant videos and build personalized playlists. The future of learning will consider student preferences like how and when they want to learn and on what device.” – Michael Norregaard, CEO, Sonic Foundry, maker of Mediasite 

Margot Douaihy, PhD, is a writer and editor based in Northampton, MA.  

The What: 1 Beyond has announced its newest product line, 1 Beyond Automate multicamera media processing solutions for streaming, recording, and videoconferencing.

The What Else: Triggered by voice or simple selectable scenarios, the Automate product line automates camera motion and switching in addition to providing multi-window compositing and titling for meetings, conferences, panel discussions, lecture capture, distance learning, and corporate training. 

The  Automate family replaces the previous 1 Beyond Collaborate AVS and Automate RCS systems and software. The family of Automate solutions features four bundles that each include PTZ cameras, a multimedia processing system, and accessories.

Automate VX and Automate VX Pro solutions use the microphones in the room to identify the active speaker and provide voice-activated switching (VX) of the camera views.

Automate Select and Automate Select Pro solutions provide selectable, customizable layouts with automated camera control for different presentation scenarios.

“We have been recognized as having the most advanced videoconferencing and lecture capture technology, and now with four camera functions [power, setup, control, and configuration] over one Ethernet cable, we are the easiest to install,” said Terry Cullen, 1 Beyond CEO and founder.  

Built into all Automate solutions is a multimedia processor that combines multiple video and content sources and supports superimposed titles and custom graphics. A graphical user interface allows for design of any layout, not just picture-in-picture or side-by-side. In addition to a broadcast quality output for conferencing, Automate solutions have a built-in encoder and recorder to enable multiple live streams, program recording, and ISO recording.

Voice-activated switching in Automate VX configurations is currently supported for Shure Microflex Advance (MXA910, MXA310) microphones and Shure Discussion Microphones (MXCW, MXC, DDS 5900, and DCS 6000). In addition, multiple types of microphones can be used with either the Shure P300 or Shure SCM820-DAN.

The Bottom Line: 1 Beyond Automate solutions are engineered to be easy to design into rooms of different sizes and layouts. Room presets can be saved for spaces that are divisible or have multiple furniture configurations. Up to seven cameras can be positioned anywhere.

1 Beyond Automate Select bundle is $9,595 and 1 Beyond Automate VX bundle is $12,995. These standard bundles include a three-input processing system and two PTZ-S20 cameras plus accessories. The Pro upgrade of each has seven inputs, double the storage, and includes IP cameras for power, setup, control, and configuration over Ethernet.

The What: 1 Beyond has begun shipping the 1 Beyond AutoTracker 3 camera, the latest version of the company’s presenter tracking camera. 1 Beyond AutoTracker cameras use a combination of motion and facial detection, and require no mats, lanyards, or any other external hardware for operation.

The What Else: The new AutoTracker 3 camera will most notably feature Power over Ethernet (PoE+) and a new software manager in addition to improved tracking and higher quality wide-angle camera.

With the addition of PoE+, the AutoTracker 3 camera can now be controlled, powered, and monitored over a single network connection, making installing the camera simpler as fewer cables need to be run.

The AutoTracker 3 camera also comes with the new 1 Beyond Camera Manager software which is able to control multiple cameras across subnets of a network and allows up to four camera streams to be viewed simultaneously.

“1 Beyond AutoTracker 3 cameras now not only feature the leading auto tracking technology but also are the easiest to install,” said Terry Cullen, founder and CEO of 1 Beyond.

The AutoTracker 3 retains the key features of the previous versions which include high-quality Sony sensor, dual 1080p or 720p HD-SDI output, advanced motor design for smooth quiet tracking, easy setup, 20x optical zoom, and automatic camera functions such as focus and white balance.

The Bottom Line: Hundreds of universities and corporations have adopted the AutoTracker camera as their standard for lecture capture, videoconferencing, training, and many other applications due to its design, which eliminates the need for camera or system operators. 

AutoTracker 3 cameras are shipping immediately and are priced at $6,995.

The internet as we know it owes its existence to the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN. While working there in the 1980s, Tim Berners-Lee created a hypertext system to facilitate scientific collaboration on the organization’s research on particle physics; later, he refined his ideas to invent the World Wide Web, and create the first web browser and website.

Located near Geneva, Switzerland on the Franco-Swiss border, the organization has been at the forefront of nuclear physics research for more than 60 years. Operating six particle accelerators, including the Large Hadron Collider—the largest single machine in the world—it has been responsible for numerous monumental achievements, including the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. From daily lectures to a global cohort of scientists remotely collaborating on ongoing experiments, CERN relies on the internet for connecting the world’s scientific community with streaming video.

So when the system it was utilizing to carry out its communications began to fall behind the times, it recently upgraded to a platform based on the Matrox Monarch HD H.264 encoder appliance. According to Marek Domaracky, senior video manager at CERN, the facility had been using a system consisting of a PC, two capture cards, an encoder, and additional control software to share seminars online via videoconference from each of CERN’s 15 webcast-enabled rooms. “We needed a powerful PC; we needed to have a big machine to do several things,” Domaracky said. “And it was based on the Flash Media Encoder from Adobe, which started to be obsolete, so that’s why we were looking to make a change.”

Domaracky tested several solutions before settling on the Monarch platform. One of the reasons he selected it was for its ability to maintain an uninterrupted stream, while at the same time starting and stopping recordings. “What is nice with the Monarch devices is they have separate encoders—so you can have the webcast running all day, and you can be recording at the same time. And we can start and stop the recording to trim it to the time we need, and can start the publishing immediately.”

The Monarch appliances push daily webcasts in RTMP to a Wowza Media Server installed at CERN, while high-profile events are sent to the Limelight Networks Content Delivery Network (CDN) to reach larger online audiences.

Auditoriums are equipped with two Monarch HD appliances, each connected to a switcher via HDMI. Some of the auditoriums have a Panasonic SDI camera; in those cases they are hooked up to a Monarch HDX unit, capable of accepting signals from HDMI or SDI sources. In both cases, a Yamaha mixer is used to control the volume of all the presenters’ microphones. Output from the mixer is then sent to the speakers in the auditorium and a second output is sent to Monarch’s analog stereo input.

“All of the rooms we use are videoconference rooms, and they have Cisco codecs installed, and Cisco cameras that are feeding signals to Matrox devices,” Domaracky said. “In some of the rooms we are using Crestron for the control, using Extron, and Cisco devices for videoconference. We also use the Videohub from Blackmagic Design for the video matrix.”

One of the most important aspects of Monarch HD that led Domaracky and his team to select it was that it had an API (Application Programming Interface) that would work with the web portal CERN had created to remotely operate the audiovisual technology. “Sometimes we have to operate several rooms at the same time, and we have just five guys to support everything,” Domaracky said. “With the API, we can do everything remotely; we don’t have to have people operating all the time. We have remote monitoring so the guys are sitting in one office and are monitoring the webcast or recording.”

Through the API, Monarch was set up to record conferences directly to a shared storage on the local network. When lectures are conducted off site, they are saved to an attached USB storage and transferred to the network at a later time. Recordings are then uploaded to CERN’s unique, in-house developed video portal, which gives viewers control over watching full screen of the presenter, the lecture notes, or a side-by-side view.

Thousands of worldwide viewers can tune into any live webcast, such as the announcement of the Higgs boson discovery. This webcast yielded 50,000 views simultaneously and almost a million views on demand.

“The recordings and webcasts are very important for our community, because this is how we’re sharing all of the knowledge from CERN,” Domaracky said. “We have daily seminars and webcasts, because CERN is not just people on the campus; we have a worldwide community. Each experiment at CERN is the result of the collaboration of thousands of physicists all around the world. When they have a videoconference or webcast, there are people watching in universities all around the world: in the U.S., in Asia, in Australia. We’re also recording some of the meetings and they are watching them offline afterwards. Some of the meetings are very important and people are following up and checking in.”

The 2018 State of Video in Education report from technology video provider Kaltura reveals a sharp uptick in higher education institutions’ use of lecture capture, up 21 percent from 65 percent in 2016 to 79 percent this year. There is a strong appetite for capturing more than just the classes taking place in standard lecture halls too, with 10 percent of respondents saying they already capture over half of all classes wherever they take place, and 31 percent keen to follow their lead. Overall, 88 percent of respondents across higher education and K-12 either already use lecture capture tools or intend to in the future.

Based on a survey of more than 1,500 educational professionals, staff, technologists, and students from around the world, this fifth annual report from Kaltura looks at the influence video is having on education and where educators see the future of video. The survey was conducted online during April and May 2018.

The use of video by students for assignments is on the rise, at 69 percent this year, up from 59 percent in 2017. Interestingly, video feedback on student assignments is also growing and is now used by more than a third of institutions (35 percent)—up from 27 percent last year—perhaps due to the growth in remote learning.

The survey also found there is a groundswell of adoption of more advanced video functionality. Closed captions are in use at over half (52 percent) of institutions today, while 34 percent use interactive video quizzes to help students learn more effectively. Mobile apps that make it easy for students to watch videos on the move, or offline, are used by 39 percent of institutions, and a further 53 percent are eager to add this capability.

Other findings include growing momentum for video creation among students in K-12 (primary/secondary) institutions, where 21 percent report that over half of their students are involved in creating (as opposed to simply watching) video; among higher education respondents, the figure is a little lower at 15 percent.

Digital literacy remains high on the agenda as a critical skill for today’s students in an era of fake news and 95 percent view video as an important part of digital literacy. A resounding 97 percent feel it is important to continue to raise the level of digital and video literacy among both teachers and students. The good news is that 83 percent of students are already considered to be highly digitally literate, with teachers snapping at their heels with 78 percent.

Looking ahead, 97 percent think that interactive videos, which encourage engagement and help students to learn, will be important; similarly, 97 percent anticipate that self-paced curriculums and personalized learning paths will be of considerable value to many students; and 94 percent see predictive analytics as a game changer in education, helping to boost learning outcomes.

The study also found that video has a positive impact on student achievements (84 percent), on increasing educator collaboration and professional development (83 percent), and on streamlining the onboarding process for new students (80 percent).

“Video-based learning experiences continue to expand and improve,” said Dr. Michal Tsur, Kaltura’s co-founder, president, and general manager—enterprise and learning. “I am excited to see usage trends on the rise, along with broader distribution of the various tools both in the hands of professors and students. Looking at our 2018/19 roadmap we continue to invest in the areas of video capture tools, interactivity, quizzing, and accessibility. We are particularly excited about the possibilities opened with our introduction of interactive personalized video learning paths, which coupled with powerful analytics, can significantly improve learning experiences and outcomes.”

The What: Vaddio will preview its new AV Bridge Mini at UC Expo, stand F129 on May 16–17 at ExCel London. The AV Bridge Mini provides all the features of the Vaddio AV Bridge and AV Bridge Conference in a compact half-rack size, and features several updates.

The What Else: AV Bridge Mini allows the integration of pro audio and video equipment into nearly any PC software application. AV Bridge Mini enables integrators to include soft codecs such as Skype for Business, Google Hangouts, Zoom, and others into their traditional AV designs.

The AV Bridge Mini takes in audio and video inputs, and outputs to USB 3.0, HDMI and IP 1080p video streams simultaneously. AV Bridge Mini is PoE compatible, making it easier to extend power and connectivity.

“The AV Bridge Mini is designed to provide integrators with the ability to integrate professional video and audio products into any PC application,” said Jay Kilby, product management director. “Enterprise users are demanding high-quality audio and video performance from their computers, so whether you want to record, stream, or conduct a videoconference call, the AV Bridge Mini encodes your AV signals into a USB 3.0 stream that can be used with any cloud-based application and on any modern operating system.”

The AV Bridge Mini combines HDMI video and stereo HDMI, stereo USB, and two line input audio channels into a seamless stream. Outputs include 1080p60 uncompressed USB 3.0 with HD UVC/UAC device support and an Ethernet network interface for both IP control and streaming, supporting RTSP H.264 encoded streams.

The Bottom Line: The Vaddio AV Bridge Mini is engineered for applications including videoconferencing, lecture capture for higher education, corporate streaming events, hard- and soft-codec rooms, as well enabling system recordings directly onto a laptop or other storage device.