Pennsylvania State University Libraries’ Media and Technology Support Services staff have been working over the summer to upgrade in-classroom recording technology.
According to a press release, Media Tech staff have been installing new auto-tracking pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera equipment at or near the rear of classroom spaces with camera controls programmed into Crestron podium systems. In addition to upgrading classroom cameras, the university said Zoom recording is replacing Mediasite, the university’s previous video platform. Penn State officials noted that the new cameras will configure within users’ Zoom video conferencing and recording account settings. As with Mediasite, recordings made with the new cameras will be available within 24 hours.
“The new PTZ cameras act like an on-demand videographer,” said Ty Emel, classroom support supervisor at Media Tech. “They intuitively follow the person speaking and moving at the front of the room and automatically adjust camera settings to ensure that recordings remain in focus without the need for separate operator intervention. They return full control of the recording to the user while providing a user-friendly recording experience.”
Additionally, Penn State said the new cameras add significant flexibility for Zoom event hosts and viewers, such as picture-in-picture viewing capability, and remain in control of the user logged in at the podium, not monitored separately. The school also noted that before a camera is used, its tracking option will be turned off by default and the lens will face away from the classroom. The camera itself cannot record audio, so a speaker will need to use a microphone to have audio included with a recording.
According to the Media Tech team, when a user’s Zoom settings are activated by the university to use the camera and the user logs into the podium or turns on the projector, then the camera will spin around and focus on the podium. When the user begins recording, a vocal announcement from Zoom within the classroom will declare when recording is in progress or stopped. The camera’s auto-tracking setting can be enabled by each user through the podium control panel’s camera tracking button, which is being added to each podium.
To help staff understand the new camera system, the Media Tech team created step-by-step instructions for using the PTZ cameras. Camera upgrades began this summer and will continue through the fall for general purpose classrooms.
