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Low tech solutions to high tech problems in AV/Multimedia

7/19/2005

There are plenty of opinions about whether directional lighting or indirect lighting is best (and affordable), but without enough light, the apparent quality of the output of the room is diminished. One of the most striking deficiencies of distance education rooms without sufficient light is the on-camera appearance of instructors and students with darker complexions. In order to gain enough contrast to see facial details and expressions, up to 75 foot-candles can be necessary.

Typically, the least expensive way to add more light is to put in more fluorescent fixtures. Make sure that the color temperature of the tubes matches that of the existing fixtures–its more important that the new lights match the existing than they conform to a given standard. Compared to upgrading to 3-CCD cameras and a better codec, adding lighting is a simple and inexpensive upgrade for any videoconferencing or distance learning system (and if you play your cards right, it comes out of Facilities’ budget instead of the technology budget).

Wait a minute! What about those rooms where you are doing distance learning with projectors? Isn’t it contradictory to want to reduce light but also maximize it? Like most solutions in audio-visual systems, it’s a matter of compromise in which satisfactory results can be obtained for both applications if planned and designed carefully. A few minutes spent explaining your needs to your electrician or electrical designer will lead to far better performance of your projection and interactive technologies for a modest cost.


Will Craig is a Multimedia Systems Design Consultant for Elert & Associates, a nation-wide multi-disciplinary technology consulting firm based in Stillwater, MN.

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Will Craig, "Low tech solutions to high tech problems in AV/Multimedia," Campus Technology, 7/19/2005, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=40381

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