Video Conferencing Facilities
Videoconferencing presents an exciting opportunity for both faculty and staff to collaborate with colleagues across the country and around the world; it can also prove to be a useful pedagogical and learning tool for faculty and students.
There are two locations on campus where videoconferencing is available: Pendleton 127 and Knapp Project Room 113. Both systems will allow individuals to communicate with others across the country or around the world, provided that those on the other end use a system that is H.320 (an international standard) compliant, which most are.
The Pendleton Videoconferencing System
The ISDN videoconferencing system in Pendleton 127 is comprised of a Tandberg 6000 codac; rear screen projection; three cameras; three plasma screens; document camera; PC/MAC option; 15 microphones (one mike per two people for audience participation) and a Control Room equipped with recording and switching devices. The videoconferencing equipment in 127 has the capability of simulcasting (for viewing purposes only) the live videoconference to other rooms such as PNW212, PNE239, PNW116 and PNW 117. Room 127 comfortably seats 30 people who can participate in a videoconference. The videoconference equipment is currently set up to give 512kb per second (from location to location) which is 30 frames a second. The system can also speak to and see four other sites simultaneously at 128kb per second. (Although the image quality will drop when multiple sites are used, it is still quite good.)
The Knapp Videoconferencing System
The ISDN videoconferencing system in Knapp Project Room 113 is comprised of a PolyCom ViewStation DC512 codac. Attached to the videoconferencing system are two 35" TVs: one for viewing the far site (people on the other end) and the other for viewing the College site. The system is configured to give us 384kb per second. The room seats 8 people comfortably, but there is standing room for a medium-size class.
Broadcast-Quality Audio Conferencing Facilities
Both the Pendleton and Knapp conferencing rooms will allow one to do an audio conference.
The College offers the Zephyr Xstream audio conferencing system that allows the sending and receiving of high-fidelity audio over an ISDN line. With instantaneous point-to-point CD-quality transfer, it can connect with every popular ISDN codac for full-duplex, 20khz stereo audio. The audio codac will support the MPEG AAC, Layer-2, Layer-3 and G.722 coding standards.
This audioconference option is especially important for faculty who would prefer to be interviewed from campus rather than making the trip to a radio station for a live interview. The College has successfully carried out tests with WBUR and a West Coast Radio station; and Susan Bailey, Executive Director, Wellesley Centers for Women, was recently interviewed by Mainstream Media Project, a non-profit public education organization that broadcasts on radio stations across the country and around the world.
- Jarlath Waldron, jwaldron@wellesley.edu
- Information Services
- Date Created: February 24, 2005
- Last Modified:
August 22, 2006
- Expires: July 1, 2007
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