USING VIDEO CONFERENCING EQUIPMENT

What is Video Conferencing?

While video conferencing will never beat meeting people personally, it gives everyone a chance to contribute despite their location. It provides people who may have worked in separate locations the ability to draw together and work as a team. Video Conferencing can allow two or more parties to communicate face to face worldwide. Documents can be upgraded by both parties allowing instant feedback, discussion becomes more meaningful as the system allows instant interaction.

Video conferencing means savings in time, travel and accommodation costs. It's a system that provides participants with the opportunity to become colleagues and perform better together. It allows you to put faces to distant names and voices and encourages true interaction. Meetings can also be taped for future reference. Conferences need to be choreographed in advanced i.e. Camera positions pre-set and documents set up. It is advisable to appoint a 'chairman' to control the meeting via the pre-sets as it may easily become unmanageable.

One disadvantage is that sites with less lines experience picture/voice break up but this can be overcome by practising self-discipline i.e. speaking clearly, facing the camera and remaining as still as possible. As the technology develops these small problems will be easily overcome.

Using the College System

• Switch on wall monitors - switch of left of door.
• Switch on main monitors - switches two on wall, two near floor.
• .Object camera - power switch back, top, right-hand side.
• Switch on both monitors - front right-hand side.
• Grey box switch - front near bottom.
• Two wedge shaped audio units. System is on when the orange standby light stops flashing.
• Data tablet and pen control all menus. Can also be controlled by Sony, light grey remote control hand set. (Do not use both at the same time as this will confuse the system).
• Press Power up button on wedge shaped audio unit. One monitor should be blue the other should show conference room. (Same on wall monitors).
• Incoming calls - Meeting can begin once all boxes at bottom of screen are lit.

Setting up the System

• Audio - At start of meeting adjust sound.
• Cameras - Two -one on top of monitor, second on wall at back of room.

To set up telephone numbers

1. Go to SET-UP --> INDEX --> Click in an empty box e.g. 003
2. Type in name of organisation by clicking on letters and spaces. (To delete mistakes click on DELETE key).
3. Click in A1 box --> Type numbers --> With cursor at end of number already in click copy key.
4. Click copy again for B1. Delete last 4 numbers and type in new numbers.
5. For C numbers copy twice again .

   BRI

   AUTO

   7K

   
   
6. Only ever change 7K to 3.4K for sites with only 2 ISDN numbers. Gives a good picture.
7. Lock numbers - the check box changes to blue --> EXIT
8. Return to Directory. Delete box will be light grey.
9. To Delete --> Go to SET-UP --> UNLOCK --> DELETE --> LOCK --> EXIT

MAIN MENU

OTHER

- Dial - to dial
- User Data - shares files
- Status - says how many lines open etc.
- Set-up - DON'T TOUCH !
- Qctrl - DON'T TOUCH !

AUDIO

Controlled by + (plus)and - (minus)
Mic mute - you can't hear what is said
(Also on hand set - don't use at same time).
Mic - blue - sound
Aux - selects sound from video recorder.
Mic + Aux - can speak over video sound.

POINT

2 hands far end - blue.
Ours - white.

CAMERAS

We have control of three cameras as well as the far end camera (The one belonging to the other participants in the conference). These are:-
Main Camera
Auxiliary Camera
Object Camera

To Pre-set Main Camera, Auxiliary Camera and Far End Camera:
Focus camera until required position is established then Pre-set e.g.
Click on Pre-set button and then click on A to set up Far End camera at 1st position. There are six pre-set buttons which can be used for each of the above cameras.
N.B. These should be set up before each meeting and the selections noted.

ZOOM

The 'head' icons allow the user to zoom in and out.

FOCUS OPTION

DO NOT TOUCH!

P in P

This puts a picture within a picture. We do not need this as we have two monitors.

AT

Camera will auto track. Focus on speaker then Click on track.
Camera will follow speaker around room.

FAR END CAMERA

When the FAR END button is blue we can control the Far End camera using the following cursor keys left up right down
These move the Far End camera to selected positions which can then be pre-set.

INPUT

Choose - To Object Camera

AUX2

Refers to pictures from a Video Camera which can be viewed at the far end at the same time as at the home point.

MULTI

Click on this button to link more than one site. 4 in total.

GRAPH MENU

This facility allows document sharing. Using this menu images can be sent to the far end and edited by both parties.
To send JPEG graphic - Object Camera - Send - Message appears:
"Graphic in transmission"
Our pointer and menu shows on other screen at the Far End.
Toolbox - Pencil - can have red, white or green with choice of 3 widths.
Rubber
Right side click EXIT

STORED IMAGES

Memo02 - dark grey means two stored images
Recall box - Memory Area - Stored Images
Dark grey shows number of stored images.
A special memory card can be stored in front of grey box. This can be used to store images and can be write protected. It can also be wiped and reused. Information and settings not on this card will be lost after switch off.
Images should be saved prior to the meeting.

INPUT - RGB?

Dark grey shows they are available.
Click what is on the PC at the time and send e.g. Powerpoint presentation.

PRINT & SCANNER

Light grey shows that the facility is not available.

INPUT - FAR END

Click on FAR END - turns blue.
Click on receive.
Gets images from far end.

All above can be set up off-line.

TO END MEETING

To end call - go to Main Meeting - click on End of Meeting - click on SYSTEM OFF - click Off-line

This is a warning - there are 5 seconds of live time left so BE QUIET

Go to Video Conferencing and Virtual Meetings

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