Students and instructors at a local college in Torrance, CA, can now receive classes and audio/video instruction on a network−based system, along with HDMI digital audio/video. Kramer Electronics products are key components of this system.
With the help of local audio/video integrator CCS and the Kramer HDMI switching/scaling series of products, the college moved from a localized control system to an integrated network solution. According to Henry Barnston, account executive at CCS in Los Angeles, the small college wanted to switch from a traditional classroom button−panel control system to a network software package, which would provide mouse−click control on an installed PC. The icon−based “dashboard” was intuitive, and required virtually no system training. The college also wanted to upgrade its A/V systems to HDMI connectivity for digital content.
The CCS team recommended a system that would send HDMI signals over twisted pair wiring, using Kramer Electronics PT−571 and PT−572+ twisted pair transmitters and receivers. CCS installed the VP−730 ProScale™ digital presentation scaler/switchers in 35 classrooms, integrating each room on the network server. The rooms feature large screens with powerful video projectors that display crystal clear video from various sources managed by the VP−730 scaler/switchers. These nine−input units switch between PCs, laptops, a Blu−Ray player, a DVD/VCR combination player and a document camera, which are all housed in a teaching station with integrated rack modules. The Kramer VP−730 converts all analog and digital signals to a single HDMI output for scaled transmission to the projector over a single category cable. Not only did this solution simplify the installation, it was also a cost−savings in cable and labor for the college.
The classrooms are monitored by the college’s media service department, where technicians can see all the devices, including the scaler/switchers, on an administrative basis. The system is linked across the campus. CCS provided training to both the technicians and the college staff, in the hopes of developing a comfort level for the instructors and technicians. The result is a seamless system that compliments the instruction, and prepares technicians for any possible troubleshooting.
“The college wanted an intuitive system that would connect the campus on a high−tech network, yet still be easy to use. Kramer hardware was the right solution because of its flexibility and its value,” said Barnston.
The discerning students at this local college can now receive improved delivery of digital video content through the Kramer Electronics system.
