Installing a Lecture Capture System? Consider These People First.
By Jim Bask
From Kaltura blog
Are you a university planning to install a new lecture capture system?
This is an increasingly common question facing schools of all sizes today, but before making any big decisions—and if you want to do it right—you should start by identifying the needs of the people who will actually be using the system: IT administrators, professors, and the students of course!
IT Administrators want… A low-maintenance system
IT administrators are often an underappreciated bunch. We call them anytime of the day (and night) and expect them to answer to our beck and call. What people don’t realize is they’re not just managing you and your department, but possibly managing one or even multiple campuses. So, if there’s a way to simplify or automate systems, administrators will appreciate it. Lecture capture systems are a great place to start.
It all begins with a video management system (VMS). Find one that allows videos from any source to be hosted, and is flexible and scalable to keep up with your school’s current and future needs. Step 2 is to find an affordable encoder appliance that is compatible with your institution’s designated VMS. An encoder that offers a low one-time investment and no annual fees will allow you to expand the number of classrooms that are lecture capture enabled. Next step is to pick one that lets you reliably stream and record lectures at the highest quality. Encoders that are equipped with a centralized monitoring application provide added functionality by giving a bird’s eye view of all appliances across the network….[continue reading]