Haivision Furnace(TM) IP Video System Eases Delivery of Live Classroom Video to Sites Across University of Maine System
Furnace Allows the University to Leverage End-to-End IP Network for Simple, Flexible Delivery of Teaching Video to Remote Sites and Students
MONTREAL and CHICAGO(05 Oct 2010)
Haivision Network Video announced today that the University of Maine System (UMS) has deployed Haivision's Furnace IP video delivery system to enable transmission of live classroom video from eight campuses to nearly 60 locations across the state. The university is using 13 Haivision compact Barracuda(TM) H.264 encoders to deliver video to 125 Stingray(TM) set-top boxes (STBs) in 125 viewing classrooms, as distant as 300 miles away. Some Stingray systems have been deployed as mobile units, giving remote education sites flexibility on how and where they can display live video.
"We have converted the University of Maine System's video delivery network to a completely IP-based system in which all campuses and off-campus centers receive live video classes via the high-speed WAN," said John Tiner, senior systems and design engineer, Information Technology Services, for the University of Maine System. "The Haivision Furnace IP video delivery system allows us to use this network very effectively to distribute high-quality live video through simple user controls and an intuitive administrative interface. As a result, we've been able to take full advantage of our IP network in providing more robust educational opportunities across the state."
Instructors equipped with wireless microphones lead live classes at the various UMS campuses while standing in front of a green screen. An on-site distance education technician controls cameras and video and audio switching, and electronically fills the green screen with Web pages, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, DVD videos, animations, and other backgrounds, which the remote audience sees on-screen behind the presenter. The technicians also monitor encoding with the Barracuda system and transmission of the live video using the Haivision InStream(TM) player. Students at the remote viewing locations watch lectures on a 32- to 42-inch display. A return link connection by phone enables students in the remote viewing classrooms to participate in real time.
The simplicity of the Furnace system, Barracuda encoder, and Stingray STB allow UMS to deliver live classroom video to remote sites with minimal administrative intervention. No on-site teacher or IT staff member is required.
Current enrollment in the UMS distance learning program totals approximately 3,800 students per semester, with 84 electronically delivered classes being offered for the Fall 2010 semester. Classes include math, business, sociology, art, computer information systems, nursing, economics, English, history, and human services. The Furnace system runs daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., enabling simultaneous delivery of lectures from as many as 10 classrooms equipped with the Haivision Barracuda system. The UMS technical team deploys three additional Barracuda encoders as needed for content acquisition and streaming from the live TV studio, as well as for backup.
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About the University of Maine System
Established in 1968, the University of Maine System is the state's largest educational enterprise. It has an annual enrollment of more than 42,000 students and serves more than 500,000 individuals annually through educational and cultural offerings. More than two-thirds of its alumni -- nearly 120,000 people -- live in Maine. The University of Maine System features seven universities -- some with multiple campuses -- located across the state, as well as nine University College outreach centers, a law school, and an additional 75 interactive distance learning sites. For more information, visit www.maine.edu.
About Haivision Network Video
Based in Montreal and Chicago, Haivision Network Video is a private company and a world leader in delivering the most advanced and intelligent IP video networking technology. Haivision's products are deployed worldwide within the foremost Fortune 100 companies; in the most rigorous military and defense applications; in state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for video collaboration and training; in highly renowned educational institutions for IPTV, teaching, and remote learning; in the most efficient interactive broadcast applications; and within the world's leading TelePresence suites. Haivision distributes its products through value-added resellers, system integrators, distributors, and OEMs worldwide.