North Carolina State Expands Streaming Video Deployment

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/20/10

North Carolina State University is deploying technology from HaiVision Network Video to stream its video. The university has been rolling out Video Furnace as a replacement for its CATV system and to deliver video to the university's academic and administrative buildings. The new system has also been used to support livecasting of campus events into overflow areas and to save video for on-demand viewing or broadcasting through the North Carolina State television channel.

The institution awarded the latest project to HaiVision in July 2009 shortly after wrapping a pilot to implement IPTV in academic buildings. In the latest push, the university will expand the pilot to residence halls. According to university reports, that project is expected to begin in Spring 2010 after enhancements are made to the network infrastructure.

"This [project] will eventually lead to all cable television on campus being delivered over the IP network instead of relying on a separate overlay network," said Greg Sparks, director of communication technologies, in a report to the campus community. "This project is also important as our current system is at capacity in terms of channels and doesn't have bandwidth available for services such as HDTV or video on demand. Both of these are increasingly being requested by our residential students."

North Carolina State used the Video Furnace technology on short notice to support the visit from Barack Obama at Reynolds Coliseum during the North Carolina primary. With an hour's notice the communication technologies team set up a large screen display and six displays scattered around the floor with no coax cable. By configuring the network accordingly and using set-top boxes and mini switches, they were able to livestream the event online.

Video Furnace provides several capabilities: the means for encoding and distributing live video to computers and set-top boxes; for creating scheduled playback channels for enterprise TV and signage; for accessing course reserve material; and for recording content and delivering video on demand. A Furnace Portal Server controls the distribution of video to both a proprietary player and set-top box. A Furnace Playback Manager allows administrators to manage scheduled channels for IP video broadcast and signage and to control viewing activities and privileges. When a user requests a video, the Manager sends the player to the user's computer or device as a video viewing environment.

Future projects for HaiVision at the university include its use for video delivery to public displays, IPTV delivery of the student media department's "Wolf TV" channel, video on demand to bring specific content to classrooms, and interactive video and capture for the university's College of Veterinary Medicine.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • open laptop in a college classroom with holographic AI icons like a brain and data charts rising from the screen

    4 Ways Universities Are Using Google AI Tools for Learning and Administration

    In a recent blog post, Google shared an array of education customer stories, showcasing ways institutions are using AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to transform both learning and administrative tasks.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has introduced a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • three main icons—a cloud, a user profile, and a padlock—connected by circuit lines on a blue abstract background

    Report: Identity Has Become a Critical Security Perimeter for Cloud Services

    A new threat landscape report points to new cloud vulnerabilities. According to the 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report from Fortinet, while misconfigured cloud storage buckets were once a prime vector for cybersecurity exploits, other cloud missteps are gaining focus.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.