Case Study: Kazakh National University expands with AREC

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we are sharing a case study from the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. This university is already an experienced user of AREC systems, and now, thanks to the assistance of our partner STEPLine and system integrator Alceza, it added AREC Lecture Capture and Auto-Tracking to the law department auditorium to record and stream classes.

The university, also known as KazNU, first learned about AREC in 2018 when it was looking for innovative learning solutions that could help it increase its standards of teaching and simplify its media work. Since then, it has purchased and used various elements of the AREC Media Capture System, including KL-3W, LS-2, and LS-200 Media Stations, DS-4CU Speaker Tracking Stations, and AREC MSR platform. AREC systems proved to be reliable and user-friendly, replacing previous software-based solutions with ease. Taking this positive experience and the advice of our partner STEPLine, KazNU chose to install more AREC systems in its other faculties and auditoriums, starting with one of the law department auditoriums.

For this expansion, the university purchased a KL-3WT Media Station and a CI-T21H IR Auto-Tracking Camera. The inbuilt screen of the 3-channel KL-3WT model makes it so that the lecturers are always aware of what is being recorded and streamed. The graphical user interface on the screen also helps the lecturers quickly adjust which video sources are used, start and stop recording and streaming, and export recorded videos on a flash drive among other functions. The station takes the video output from a smart lectern and a CI-T21H camera mounted on a wall bracket. Its third channel is kept open in case a document camera or a second computer is required. The combined videos produced by the station are streamed to the university’s YouTube channel where they are available via private links.

As for the CI-T21H, it makes sure that the lecturers are always in view of the camera and allows them to focus on the class at hand. Moreover, the camera stays on the lecturers even if students enter the field of view since it is looking only for the AM-600 positioner - a particularly important feature when it comes to tracking in lecture halls.

The new installation in KazNU improves the experience for both lecturers and students.

Would you like to know how your university can use AREC? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to discuss your requirements.

Text: Anastasia Yakimenko

Case Study: Electrolux Inspiration Evenings with AREC

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we would like to share a case study from our Danish distributor, UNIT. Together with the system integrator AV-Center, they have created a complete and mobile solution for recording and live streaming based on AREC for Electrolux.

Electrolux is a multinational and well-known brand of home appliances. They have numerous showrooms all over the world where they commonly invite retailers and regular customers to examine the appliances on the spot. In one of their Danish showrooms in Fredericia, those who purchased such products are invited to attend inspiration evenings, where they are given suggestions on how to best use a particular appliance in a kitchen setting. However, the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions required drastic changes to the way these evenings are held, and so Electrolux started looking for an easy-to-use and portable live streaming solution.

The appliance giant realized that AREC devices fit their requirements perfectly and chose a Network Camera and a Media Station for the showroom. CI-21H Network Camera is used to capture the speaker and invited chef’s interactions. This video feed is sent to a KL-3WT Media Station which applies elements like overlay and background, mixes it with other audio and video sources at the same time, and streams it to RTMP platforms. The station is made to be easy to use, and so all essential controls are available through the inbuilt touch screen - for example, users can start or stop recording, change how the video sources are shown, control sound, export videos, and even control the camera’s PTZ. Every device, including the wireless Sennheiser microphones, is installed in a portable rack and can be moved by the presenters at will. Per the words of Electrolux’s Thomas Brinch-Møller: “Now it is only the imagination that sets the limits for our further development of events, product training, and launches.”

AREC solution lets Electrolux continue providing top-notch service to their customers despite limitations imposed by social distancing and also opens new opportunities for the future on how to reach a whole new audience worldwide. Are you interested in building a similar solution? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to assist you.

Text: Anastasia Yakimenko

Case Study: NSI easily records and publishes digital content with AREC and Opencast

Dear ADENA partners, we are excited to share a case study from our German distributor DIMESO and their client, The Lower Saxony Study Institute for Municipal Administration (NSI) in Hannover. The institute is using AREC KL-3WT Media Station and CI-T21H auto-tracking camera to record pedagogical content.

With the NSI expanding their digitization efforts and the need to produce high-quality educational content, a professional solution was required that provided a good integration with their existing Opencast platform, an open source, flexible, reliable and free solution for management and distribution of video content at scale. To fulfill this request, DIMESO recommended AREC’s Media Station which has proven to be very popular. Within a few months, more than 100 films have been produced and automatically uploaded to Opencast without any problems.

Florian Lausen, Project Manager for Process and Organisation Development at NSI commented, that “the provided test equipment convinced us in the end by its easy handling and the possibility for lecturers without profound technical knowledge to record their teachings.” Mr. Lausen particularly highlighted the smooth service provided by DIMESO and ADENA even before getting the equipment, with continuous application and technical support, working together from the initial set up all the way to firmware upgrades that expand features and open up new production possibilities for the Institute.

The NSI represents a great example of integration between AREC and Opencast, and how our products can be used in education to make effective digital content. If you would like to learn more about which other platforms AREC is integrated with and how it can be used in your organisation, please contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to assist you.