VSI Encoders Help Walton County, Georgia Schools Stream Video to Classrooms

Visionary Solutions Inc. today announced that the Walton County School District, based in Monroe, Ga., has deployed Visionary Solutions' AVN200 and AVN210 encoders as part of a powerful new IP-centric streaming media solution that delivers high-quality SD video and audio signals to more than 15 schools district-wide. Harnessing the high performance and dependability of Visionary Solutions' AVN encoding platforms, Walton County School District can now cost-effectively stream live, video-on-demand (VOD), and multicast video feeds simultaneously to an unlimited number of classrooms, optimizing the teaching and learning experience for teachers and students within the district.

Prior to installing the new streaming media solution, the district relied on an outdated coax-based system to distribute audio and video content to schools. By transitioning to an IP-based video infrastructure, in which Visionary Solutions' AVN encoders seamlessly stream SD video and audio content over local and wide area networks (LAN and WAN), Walton County Schools has the flexibility to control a wide range of content, including student and faculty-produced videos as well as multimedia from leading broadcast and cable networks, from a central location, maximizing the district's efficiencies while lowering their operational expenses. 

"In evolving from a coax to IP-based architecture, Walton Country Schools required a powerful encoding solution capable of delivering exceptional video quality to an unlimited number of recipients, while also keeping operational costs and usability in mind," said Duane Embry, director of instructional technology, Walton County School District. "Visionary Solutions' AVN encoders dramatically speed up our workflow by allowing us to distribute live announcements in real time. During a recent major live news event, we connected more than 3500 classrooms to the streaming media portal. The AVN encoders are also user-friendly and cost-effective, making them a valuable resource for our district."

Walton County School District appointed Media Products, Inc. as the A/V systems integrator for the project and purchased the Visionary Solutions encoders through Emerald Communications, an independent manufacturers' representative serving the Southeast region. The district uses Visionary Solutions' AVN200 and AVN210 solutions to compress SD video and audio into MPEG-2 real-time streams that are viewed on projectors within the classroom. Visionary Solutions' AVN encoders feature standard MPEG-2 hardware compression and optimized network interface technology capable of delivering full frame-rate video and CD quality audio. 

School district media specialists can easily manage the AVN encoders via an intranet site that includes links to each encoder's embedded Web servers. The district's internal website also includes links to VLC, a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player compatible with a wide range of multimedia files as well as DVD, audio CD, VCD, and streaming protocols, enabling teachers to instantly download a media player and stream high-quality video and audio content in the classroom.

"Visionary Solutions' AVN encoders are the perfect A/V streaming solution for the educational market based on their high performance, reliability, affordable cost, exceptional A/V quality, and ease of use by nonprofessional AV operators," said Mike Piper, vice president of marketing, Visionary Solutions. "We are proud to support Walton County School District's initiative to bring a more sophisticated and interactive level of learning to the educational classroom."

More information about Visionary Solutions' AVN encoders and the company's other products is available at www.vsicam.com.