Going Virtual 2- Digital Conversion Studio Thinking about a conversion? For many of us, this project was a leap into the unknown. Exciting, scary, challenging and inspiring.

The Digital Conversion across state team has just completed their 2007 Learnscope project- learning to effectively convert all sorts of files for use in web conferencing rooms. This involved learning about different file formats, conversion processes, and the best way to optimise the quality of audio, video and presentation files in a variety of web conference rooms.

The Digital Conversion across state team has just completed their 2007 Learnscope project- learning to effectively

convert all sorts of files for use in web conferencing rooms.

This involved learning about different file formats, conversion processes, and the best way to optimise the quality of audio, video and presentation files in a variety of web conference rooms.

For a lot of us… this was all new territory. So we relied greatly on our trainers and support….. And now there’s no need for raised eyebrows, puzzled expressions or frowns 

Extract from our video conversion workshop notes… Video Formats: Mov – Requires Quick Time FLV – Requires Flash Player WMV – Requires Windows Media Player DivX - Proprietary technology based on the MPEG-4 (additional component on mac for Quicktime) Real Media – Realplayer We are going to concentrate on FLV – Why? By default – both VET Virtual and Adobe Connect use FLV for video Youtube uses FLV There are a couple of interesting video formats available for the web. So which one to go for? Nowadays, the best option is the Flash Video (FLV) format.

Video Formats:

Mov – Requires Quick Time

FLV – Requires Flash Player

WMV – Requires Windows Media Player

DivX - Proprietary technology based on the MPEG-4 (additional component on mac for Quicktime)

Real Media – Realplayer

We are going to concentrate on FLV – Why?

By default – both VET Virtual and Adobe Connect

use FLV for video

Youtube uses FLV

There are a couple of interesting video formats

available for the web.

So which one to go for? Nowadays, the best option is the Flash Video (FLV) format.

What about audio conversion? We explored optimal: Sample rates Bit rates Digital audio format types and their advantages Checking audio quality for the listener: Can listeners understand voices in recording? Can listeners hear quiet sounds? Can listener hear loud sounds without distortion? Can the listener distinguish between digitised audio and original recording? Objective technical criteria for audio quality eg. Is the bit rate equal to or less than the available bandwidth?

We explored optimal:

Sample rates

Bit rates

Digital audio format types and their advantages

Checking audio quality for the listener:

Can listeners understand voices in recording?

Can listeners hear quiet sounds?

Can listener hear loud sounds without distortion?

Can the listener distinguish between digitised audio and original recording?

Objective technical criteria for audio quality

eg. Is the bit rate equal to or less than the available bandwidth?

Sharing knowledge and experiences was one of the most important parts of our project…..and we’d love to share more with you… check out our wiki for some fantastic resources http://digitalconversionstudio.wikispaces.com/

We also explored strategies for effective and engaging facilitation in virtual training rooms. This was really exciting given we came from different states and different faculty areas and backgrounds

We also explored strategies for effective and engaging facilitation in virtual training rooms.

We shared ideas for using various media types, and facilitation strategies with our own students… in ways that we may not have thought of before

We shared ideas for using various media types, and facilitation strategies with our own students… in ways that we may not have thought of before

The most rewarding experiences have been sharing knowledge and thoughts with other team members in different states and across faculty areas These are just some of the things that will continue to inspire us to keep exploring and learning

The most rewarding experiences have been sharing knowledge and thoughts with other team members in different states and across faculty areas

These are just some of the things that will continue to inspire us to keep exploring and learning