Mediasite Presentation Summary
February 4th, 2010
David Jero - Sonic Foundry Account Manager (davej@sonicfoundry.com) and Paul B - Sales Engineer
What is it?
Hardware and software solution for the capture, encoding and distribution of classroom-captured media.
How does it work?
Specific hardware and software installed in the classroom that can be scheduled to capture classroom content, including anything projected onto the screen via the VGA or DVI signal to the lcd projector.
Slide capture
Capture system produces a new "slide" when the change to the projected image passes a set threshold. These "slides" are then synchronized with the video playback.
User interface
Web-based user interface displays the video and slides (or other media) via the Microsoft Silverlight (v3.0) player. Video, slides, and thumbnails are all displayed simultaneously. The user can jump to specific slides in the lecture and the video queues to the same location in time. Users can also zoom in on the slides or swap the location of the slides and video. The interface also supports polling, feedback, and captioning (via SAMI). You may view an example presentation at:
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/webcast/What-Every-Association-Should-Know-A...
What is it made of?
System is "turn-key" in the sense of being an end-to-end solution utilizing hardware and windows-based software. Cameras (not included) carry an SD video signal via s-video, firewire, component or composite signal to the in-class capture and encoder box. No support for HD video. Live or on-demand, encoded video is transferred over the network to the server that streams content to end-user. Server stores video, as well as other assets associated with the video content. System allows for scaling to numerous classrooms by adding additional capture nodes to the system. Centralized real-time monitoring of the classrooms is available (assuming in-room cameras are on). A portable encoder with built-in monitor is also available for additional mobility.
Management system
Access to content can be controlled on a granular level. Start and end capture times are scheduled via a central system. Meta-data with class info can be entered in advance.
Analytics on usage
The "heat-map" feature indicates what portion of the video is most-viewed. Usage may be viewed in aggregate or on a user basis. Various reports allow for analysis of usage.
Licensing and support
Costs include initial investment plus an annual percentage (16 or 17%) for support and licensing of software. There is also a program to upgrade hardware every four years at significantly discounted pricing.
