[Robert Chapman]

Some of our faculty have asked if it's possible to have an indicator light for when they are being recorded. While the Echo hardware unit has a light these units are often times no visible to the instructors either recessed into cabinets or closets. We would like to be able to get a basic signal out of the box that we can use to turn on a light. Even a basic RS-232 would be a start. Has anyone developed an elegant solution for notifying instructors they are being recorded.

Just some background information. Our instructors know that their courses are being recorded already or if they've opted out when the schedules are first setup. They still insist on having an indicator light.

[Roger]

Gday Robert,

The Capture Appliance has an API which allows you to query it for it's current state over IP. (RS232/USB not supported, AFAIK.) I wrote a module for our AMX control systems to do exactly this, and it has worked pretty well for us for several years. (It also allows you to Pause/Resume the recording, and Stop it early.) Our "Record" light is a bright red 12v lamp on the desk, which is on while recording, flashes while paused, and off while the CA is idle. Hopefully this link to my documentation works... http://www.lectureca...ch&attach_id=46 There are numerous other universities on this side of the Pacific who use it and seem happy with it. Let me know if you want more information.

There is also a version for Crestron control systems, but I've got no experience with that platform so I can't say how well it works.

A "bare bones" approach could be created on an in-room PC which polls the CA for it's state, and then turns on a light. (Either a USB-controlled light or a relay card in the PC.) This would rely on several things:
1) The PC is always on. (Think whether this will be the case or not. If the PC is off and a recording takes place, what will the fall-out be?)
2) The software which polls the CA is running all the time. I.e. It would have to be written as a service/daemon, rather than an application.

Taking these sorts of issues into consideration, we preferred to have the record light available regardless of what "end user" equipment was being used in the room, hence our AMX approach to the issue. While installing AMX/Crestron hardware into classrooms has a buy-in cost, there are many other Total Cost of Ownership issues which make it worthwhile, particularly data projector monitoring, error tracking and logging of lamp hours.

Yours,
Roger McLean
Swinburne University

[MarkHodson]

Hi Robert,

I have done some work on a Crestron module that will do same as Roger's AMX module plus a few extras like volume feedback.

It has worked really well for us and i would agree with Roger it is worth the extra expense.

Cheers
Mark