6 Features to Look Out For in Successful Videoconferencing Technologies

Goldstein says good videoconferencing technologies will enable instructors to record and archive content, from lectures to lesson demonstrations. He says recording and archiving content enables students the chance to break from note-taking and revisit challenging concepts as many times as they want.

Goldstein also says the ability to archive video content gives colleges a new way to stream revenue through online classes.

“Now students can log in with live, real time situations and watch and listen to a lecture,” he says. “[Videos] can be recorded and archived so you don’t have to take notes anymore. You just listen, absorb as best as you can, and what you don’t absorb, you can go back and watch that lecture over and over as many times as you want until you cultivate the technology. As colleges look for different sources of revenue, they can now offer people the ability to register and pay for the classes without really having to show up, which means schools don’t really need extra space for bigger lecture halls. All they need to do is let people log in.”

Photo by wp.oemmicro.com.

Goldstein says a good videoconferencing installation will provide excellent audio.

He says end users should have a basic conception of audio setup in order to capture effective content. Without good sound, he says videos are useless.

“You can have shaky, grainy video, but if you cannot hear it, it’s no good and you have to turn it off,” Goldstein says. “You have to have a good quality audio system. You have to have microphones, you have to know what you are doing. It’s not an expensive process, but it does take understanding of basic live audio to get the mics into the right place so they pick up the speaker, so they pick up the rest of the room and it’s clear.”

Photo by www.bloomberg.com.

Goldstein says effective videoconferencing technology will deliver HD-quality videos.

He says end users are used to watching high-quality content, and expect it each year.

He says one way to achieve HD-quality content is by investing in a camera that is separated from its microphone.

“It’s very important to note that webcams with mics built into them are not an optimal way to do it,” Goldstein says. “You want to get a camera separate from a microphone because the microphone might have to be close to the speaker, but the camera needs to be far away to get enough of the lecture area.”

Photo by tuxarena.blogspot.com.

Goldstein says another way end users can get good-quality videos is by investing in a multi-camera solution.

He says multi-camera solutions create more interesting, engaging content, and enables instructors to be more interactive while recording a lecture.

“[With mulit-camera options], you can switch from one to another like it’s a T.V. show,” Goldstein says. “That’s even better because you can have cameras covering multiple areas as you lecture in front of a white board, and you can walk and have a document camera show something up close, or get a wide-shot of the classroom; so if somebody’s asking a question, they can come to the person asking the question [and capture them].”

Photo by blog.newtek.com.

Since most of the magic of effective video content lies in the intricacies of software, Goldstein says end users should stay basic when it comes to hardware.

He says end users should create a checklist of which combination of technologies are needed for their particular videoconferencing solution.

Some potential technologies include a conferencing system, like Skype or Blue Jeans, pan-tilt-zoom camera, wide-angle camera and microphone.

“That gives you the ability to go wide, narrow, up, down, and they have devices now that you can wear on your neck that wirelessly communicates with the camera so as you move, the camera automatically follows you,” Goldstein says. “So now you are totally unencumbered, you’re restricted to a certain area, but your area is larger than normal because you can get it to follow you. You get a camera with a wide angle, a really good-quality microphone, computer and software and guess what? That’s all you need. It’s a very basic system, but that’s all you need.”

Photo by martinrumack.com.

Goldstein says end users can have the best videoconferencing technology there is, but if their network can’t support and deliver that content, it’s no good.

He says if videoconferencing technology becomes a priority on campus, end users should consider investing in a network dedicated to video content.

He says a dedicated network will also deliver content efficiently without interrupting the school’s main networks.

“As another piece in that kit, the school may want to consider having a dedicated, wireless cellular box because that’s a dedicated level to carry the school’s bandwidth and network, and it’s portable,” Goldstein says. “It can go from class to class, so that way you don’t have to review the whole network in the school, and not every class has to have this 4G box…Now, we have enough bandwidth and we’re not interfering with the rest of the school.”

Photo by www.bandwidthplace.com.