In the 21st century, the evolution of technology is largely
sustained by the innovation of AV pros. Higher-education institutions
are integrating AV education into their curriculum to prepare students
for a world that relies on the application of AV tech. If a picture is
worth a thousand words, graduates applying for a job with an
AV-enhanced “cover letter” may be worth fifty times as much - in
dollars, that is.
The collaborative effort of Orad Hi-Tec Systems and Vinten Radamec
is helping Ball State University produce some hi-tech students in
Muncie, Indiana. Ball State enlisted the worldly duo to augment a
sophisticated 2,400 square foot virtual studio at the university’s
Teleplex. The state-of-the-art facility boasts Orad’s Proset virtual
studio and HDVG (high-definition digital video graphics); three
fully-encoded Vinten Radamex manual pedestals and pan/tilt heads; and
Ultimatte 11 blue/green compositing software. Orad’s ProSet integrates
Xync infrared tracking, Pattern Recognition, CamTrack, and mechanical
sensors.
Orad, known for real-time quality 3D broadcast graphics, imports
the geometry, textures, animations, and design from multiple platform
models before rendering the imports through Orad’s HDVG platform. As
Vinten Radamec pedestals and heads provide up to a million positional
data points through 360 degrees, the Orad engine seamlessly syncs the
movement of generated objects with the camera. The tri-cam virtual
reality system at Ball State University requires minor re-calibrating
when relocated to another studio.
University Teleplex director Bill Cahoe says he chose Orad’s ProSet
studio to equip broadcast students with cutting-edge AV tech training,
and to endow their broadcasts with “a polished, professional, and
viewer-pleasing look.” The quality of the facility sparked the interest
of corporate clients, who will pay Ball State University for studio
access. “The facility has a threefold payback to the university - in
education, in information, and in revenue,” Cahoe says.
Tech professionals will introduce Ball State students to the new
equipment this fall. Cahoe expects the students to master the products
and produce professional-grade broadcasts quickly, due to the systems’
advanced rendering capability. Students will be able to play multiple
clips in different file formats including: AVI, MPEG, DV, DVC25, and
Quick Time.
“We are so pleased with the product,” Cahoe says of Orad’s system. “It does everything we dreamed it would do.”
With high quality video and graphics; interactive media design and
production; digital and satellite-based conferencing; and classroom
media delivery capabilities, the Teleplex will facilitate a variety of
Ball State University broadcasts. Student-produced nightly news will
complement Ball State’s reputation as a source of quality broadcasts in
East Central Indiana, which already knows the University as a provider
of quality public television and radio programming.