Project Title: Video Server for Williams Hall Television Studio

Project Lead's Name: Steven Beitzel

Project Lead's Email: beitzese@MiamiOH.edu

Project Lead's Phone: 513-529-3523

Project Lead's Division: CAS

Primary Department: MJF

 List Departments Benefiting or Affected by this proposal:

• MJF Department
• Myaamia Center
• Student organizations: Miami TV News, MAFIA

Estimated Number of Under-Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 225

Estimated Number of Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 2

Describe the problem you are attempting to solve and your approach for solving that problem: The recording and playing back High Definition media clips in the Williams TV studio has become increasingly complex in recent years. We began the transition from analog to digital in 2007/08, and upgraded much of the equipment to High Definition digital in 2013. In that update we lacked funds to replace some of our early digital gear - including the record / play server - basically a Windows XP computer equipped with specific media interface cards. This unit is well past its expected life expectancy and lacks compatibility with the equipment it serves in the studio. I've come in many mornings to find the thing locked-up and found a note from a faculty member that class content was lost due to this failure. We propose replacing it with a server that will allow our students to record and play HD content without the difficulties we now encounter with equipment reliability, file format conversion and lack of network connection.

How would you describe the innovation and/or the significance of your project: The device we propose in this case is a remarkable machine. It can record HD video while playing back 2 independent HD streams. The media is compatible and easily shared with other platforms used by our students in their creative work. Adding this unit will allow students to concentrate more on story telling and less on the technology preventing them from success.

How will you assess the success of the project: We can document the decreased down-time in class, fewer reports of equipment failure, increased efficiencies as students bring clips to play as part of a larger project and ease of sharing their finished work in class or their student media groups.

Total Amount Requested: $13,166

Budget Details:

• Purchase price from B&H Photo/Video is $12,980
• rack-mount kit is $186

Is this a multi-year request: No