CASL Video Conference Guide For assistance, contact CASL Tech : casltech@ucd.ie Table of Contents Usage Requirements 1 - Hardware Requirements 2 - Physical connectivity of the Polycom HDX 7000 unit 3 - Software Requirements.. 4 o For Mac.. 4 o For Windows.. 4 System capabilities 5 Instructions for Use.. 6 - For on-site users in CASL. 6 o Preparation.. 6 o Dialling and conducting your conference 9 o Controlling content 11 o Post-conference.. 12 - For off-site users.. 13 o Preparation 13 o Dialling and joining a conference 14 - For live web-streaming 15 - Recording and Retrieving Sessions. 16 Summary of technical details for experienced users. 17 1
Usage Requirements Hardware requirements The use of CASL Video Conferencing hardware is free for any student or staff member of UCD. However, some of the functions of this hardware require that specific standards are met. If used to simply conduct a video conference meeting with one or more external participants, no additional hardware is required, so compatibility issues will not arise. However, if users wish to incorporate content from their PC/MAC systems (such as PowerPoint presentations, etc), the following requirements must be met by their system: - PC/MAC systems must be equipped to output a VGA signal to the Polycom unit. On PC, almost all desktop and laptop machines are equipped with a direct VGA output (Fig. 1). On MAC machines, an adapter such as the one pictured in Fig.2 must be used. CASL supplies adapters for both Mini DisplayPort and DisplayPort Figure 2 Mac Display Adapter Figure 1 VGA Output port - Note : PC/MAC systems must be capable of outputting a screen resolution of at least 1280x1024 2
Physical Connectivity of the Polycom HDX7000 unit CASL s video conferencing hardware consists of a Polycom HDX7000 client machine, camera and microphone, coupled with a 50 HD Sharp video display (Fig. 3). This equipment is mounted on a portable rack, with all components correctly connected in place. To use this system, users need only: Figure 3 Polycom HDX7000 1) Connecting the Polycom client machine to one of the labelled network ports in the Seminar Room (port 036) or Meeting Room (port 005). (Fig.4) 2) Connect the unit to a single power source (an inbuilt power strip will supply power to all components) Figure 4 Network connection 3) If you wish to display content from an external computer (e.g. PowerPoint slides from a laptop), connect the Polycom unit to your machine s VGA output using the supplied VGA cable (Fig.5) Figure 5 VGA Cable 3
Software requirements As mentioned above, standard video conferences between similar hardware units will not require any additional software/hardware specifications. However, for external parties wishing to use their own PC/MAC hardware to participate in your conference, additional video conferencing software will need to be installed on their systems. Windows Systems: - All PC hardware running Windows XP comes with a preinstalled video conferencing client called NetMeeting. To access Microsoft NetMeeting, click, then, then type conf (without quotes) and press return (Fig.6). Details on how to use NetMeeting are provided later in the Dialling and conference section on page 9) - Users running other versions of Windows (Vista, Windows 7) will need to download an alternative conferencing solution such as PacPhone (www.pacphone.com). PacPhone is free of charge, and supports all versions of the Windows OS. Figure 6 Run Dialogue box Mac Systems - Mac OS does not ship with dedicated video conferencing software, but an excellent free solution can be downloaded in the form of XMeeting (http://xmeeting.sourceforge.net). 4
System Capabilities & Suggested Uses Remote Meetings CASL s Polycom video conferencing hardware is ideal as a standalone solution to host and participate in remote meetings. No additional hardware is required, and multiple participants may take part in the meetings. Live Lecture Streaming Thanks to HeaNet s online streaming service (http://hdmcu.heanet.ie/streaming.html), CASL s Polycom hardware may be used to host live lectures and talks, which may be streamed in a browser by viewers anywhere in the world. Privacy for your sessions is addressed by providing two virtual rooms for CASL video conference sessions, one of which requires PIN authentication by participants, the other being publicly accessible to all. Instructions on how to access live streams are provided later in the Live Streams section. Lecture & Seminar Recording In addition to facilitating live streaming for seminars and talks, CASL s Polycom hardware also allows high-quality recording of any video conference session. In this way, lectures may be recorded, along with all associated slides and media, and made available for download to students/colleagues/associates at a later date. Instructions on how to arrange such a session are provided later in the Recording and Retrieving Sessions. Conference Recording In addition, CASL s Polycom hardware may also be used to record meetings and video conferences for viewing at a later date. Video streams from all active participants will be recorded and presented along with their respective audio streams. Instructions on how to arrange such a session are provided later in the Recording and Retrieving Sessions. 5
Instructions for On-Site Use Preparation Once all initial power and network connections have been made as detailed in the Physical Connectivity of the Polycom HDX7000 unit section, users should take the following steps to prepare for their video conference session. - If using an external computer (such as a laptop with PowerPoint slides), ensure that your computer is sending a video signal from its VGA output port. Normally, this automatically occurs once a VGA cable is connected, but you may need to manually enable external monitor output using the appropriate keyboard shortcut ( Fn+F8 on most Dell laptops, for example). Figure 7 Enable external monitor key function - Ensure that the Sharp TV display is powered on. You should see the screen output shown in Fig.8 if powered on correctly, along with a listing of the currently selected source in the topright of the screen. Figure 8 Display powered on - Switch to HDMI2 source using the source select function on the supplied remote (left). You may cycle through each available source until you reach HDMI2, or select from a list of available sources (right). 6
- Position the Polycom Microphone (Fig.9) in a suitable location. While the microphone will pick up speech from anywhere within the Seminar Room, it is best to place the microphone as close as possible to the intended location of your meeting/talk. Figure 9 - Microphone - Power on the Polycom Video Conferencing hardware using either the power button on the front of the Polycom Client, or the power button on the top-right of the Polycom Remote (Fig.10). Figure 10 Power on button - The Polycom HDX-7000 takes roughly one minute to power up fully, during which time you will see the following sequence of screen output: Figure Figure 11 Figure 13 Figure 12 7
- You are now ready to begin your video conference, but first you may wish to adjust the camera angle and zoom using the arrow keys on the Polycom remote (Fig.14) Figure 14 8
Dialling & conducting your conference Once all initial preparations have been made, you may now begin your conference. - Enter the following IP address into the main text box : 193.1.31.196, as shown. - Press the green Call Button, as shown - You will now be brought to a blue menu screen, hosted by the HeaNet video conferencing system. 9
- Here, you must enter your desired Virtual Room Number, using number 168 for private sessions, or number 226 for publicly-broadcast sessions. To do this, press the # key on the Polycom Remote (left) to enable a numerical keypad (right). Once you have entered your desired Virtual Room Number (again, either 168 or 226), press the # key once more to complete your selection. - If prompted for a PIN, enter 5977, then press # once again to complete your entry. - Once you have successfully entered your Virtual Room Number and PIN, the CASL Polycom unit will connect you to your conference and display a progress screen. 10
- Once successfully connected (this normally takes 1-2 seconds), your conference has begun, and you will most likely be the first participant. No extra steps need to be taken to allow others to join your conference Controlling Content - By default, the CASL Polycom system will send a live video feed from its onboard camera. However, if you have connected your laptop (as outlined in the Preparation Stage on Page 6), you may choose to send a live Figure 15 feed from your laptop s VGA output instead. To achieve this, use the Camera button (Fig.16) on the Polycom remote to bring up the source selection menu (Fig.17), then select PC Input to select your laptop s VGA signal. Figure 16 - To revert back to a live video feed from the Polycom Camera, simply repeat the process listed above. - If your session is being recorded (see the Recording and Retrieving Sessions section), both video and laptop signals will be recorded and displayed side-by-side in a single highresolution video recording (shown below) 11
Post-Conference - Once your video conference session has drawn to a close, you may terminate your connection by pressing the red Hang Up key on the Polycom Remote (right) - To power down the video conferencing equipment, hold the Power button on the top-right of the Polycom remote control. - To power down the Sharp TV, press the Power button on the top-right of the Sharp remote control 12
Instructions for Off-Site Use To access an active video conference taking place in CASL from an external location, participants must use dedicated video-conferencing software on their OS platform of choice. The following is general advice and steps to follow to ensure the highest possible quality of connection for your conference. Recommended video conferencing client software The following software packages are available free of charge, and enable any Windows or Mac system to connect to CASL video conferences: - Windows XP o Microsoft NetMeeting is bundled with Windows XP, and can be accessed without any additional installation steps by following the guide on page 4, under Software Requirements - Windows Vista/Windows 7 - Mac OsX o Users running other versions of Windows (Vista, Windows 7) will need to download an alternative conferencing solution such as PacPhone (www.pacphone.com). o Mac OS does not ship with dedicated video conferencing software, but an excellent free solution can be downloaded in the form of XMeeting (http://xmeeting.sourceforge.net). Preparation - Ensure that your computer is connected to a fast, reliable network. - Users from other departments within UCD should ensure that they do not use the WaveLAN wireless network to connect, but rather the wired Ethernet infrastructure - Ensure that any firewall software your system may be running allows traffic from your video conferencing software of choice. - Ensure that other chat applications such as Skype or Windows Messenger are not running, since this may cause conflicts with resources such as your webcam or microphone 13
- If you are using a camera device (integrated or external) such as a webcam, ensure that it is correctly connected, enabled and that all necessary driver software is installed. - Ensure that your camera device is enabled and calibrated within your conferencing software of choice. - Ensure that your microphone device (integrated or external) is not muted, and that it is adjusted to an appropriate sensitivity level. - To avoid unwanted audio feedback, the use of headphones is strongly recommended. Dialling and joining a conference Use the following details in your software package of choice to connect to CASL video conferences: - Enter 193.1.31.196 in your software s dialling box or keypad - When prompted, you will need to enter the CASL s Virtual Room Number using your software s user-input box or keypad: o o For private sessions, enter 168, then enter # (without quotes) For publicly-broadcast sessions, enter 226, then enter # (without quotes) - If prompted for a PIN, enter 5977, then enter # (without quotes) 14
Instructions for live web-streaming CASL s Polycom hardware automatically broadcasts live lectures and talks, which may be streamed in a browser by viewers anywhere in the world. Privacy for your sessions is addressed by providing two virtual rooms for CASL video conference sessions, one of which requires PIN authentication by participants, the other being publicly accessible to all. To view a talk, follow these steps: For Private Sessions - Visit http://hdmcu.heanet.ie/streaming.html - Enter 168 in the Conference ID field - Enter 5977 in the PIN field - Select QuickTime 768k - Click Stream this Conference For Public Sessions - Visit http://hdmcu.heanet.ie/streaming.html - Enter 226 in the Conference ID field - Leave the PIN field blank - Select QuickTime 768k - Click Stream this Conference If you experience playback issues while viewing a stream, simply pause then resume the video stream 15
Recording and Retrieving Sessions CASL s Polycom hardware may also be used to record meetings and video conferences for viewing at a later date. Video streams from all active participants will be recorded and presented along with their respective audio streams. If you wish to have your session recorded, follow these steps: - Email multimedia@heanet.ie with the start time, finish time and date of your session, along with your chosen Virtual Room Number (168 for private conferences, 226 for public conferences). - The recording will automatically begin at your specified times, and no further steps are required on the part of the conference participant. - After 24 hours, your recording will be available for download in a number of formats from a web-browser interface located at http://193.1.31.230 16
Summary of technical details for experienced users Virtual Room Numbers : - 168 for private sessions - 226 for public sessions - To dial using an IP Address : o Dial 193.1.31.196 o Browse for your desired room, or Press #, enter <Virtual Room Number> followed by the # key o Use PIN 5977 - To dial using GDS : o Dial 003530110051168 o Use PIN 5977 - To dial in using an external browser on any machine: o Go to http://hdmcu.heanet.ie o Enter Conference ID : <Virtual Room Number> o Enter PIN : 5977 o Select the QuickTime 768k option - To dial in using a conferencing application such as NetMeeting: o Dial 193.1.31.196 o Press #, enter <Virtual Room Number> followed by the # key again. You may use the keypad, or these standard keyboard combinations: Ctrl+shift+3 for # Ctrl+<any numer> for any number o Use PIN 5977, followed by the # key - To dial using ISDN VC : o Call 01-4490889 o Wait for Please dial your party s extension prompt o Dial the GDS No. 003530110051168, then the # key 17