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Orientation: Videoconferencing Basics
Learn about the Trans-Texas Videoconference Network and videoconferencing basics in this section of the online orientation for Texas A&M distance students.
What is TTVN?
TTVN provides two-way multi-point digital videoconferencing and data transmission services to the institutions within its network. This includes the 10 TAMU System universities (College Station, Prairie View, Galveston, Commerce, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Texarkana, West Texas, Texas A&M International University and Tarleton State University), the Health Science Center, The Agriculture and Engineering Extension and Experiment agencies, The Texas Forest Service, and the Texas Transportation Institute. In addition, several affiliate institutions consisting of colleges, universities, and Independent School Districts, are connected to the network due to academic relationships with TAMUS entities.
The network carries approximately 175 graduate classes each year, provides for over 5000 conferences annually, and is the backbone for all Web based courses that originate from TAMUS institutions. TTVN provides interactive services to a network that includes over 120 dedicated video sites and over 100 data sites in 40 Texas cities. There are also links to Mexico City and Costa Rica. There are 20 sites total on the Texas A&M campus.
Videoconferencing Tips
Videoconferencing is two-way audio and video over a telephone line or the Internet. Texas A&M University utilizes the Trans-Texas Videoconference Network for most of its videoconferencing needs. Here are some helpful tips to remember during a videoconference:
- Remember to turn your microphone on before speaking.
- Remember to turn your microphone off during long moments of silence to reduce the background noise received at the remote site.
- Speak loud enough for the microphones to broadcast your speech, and remember that microphone levels will vary from classroom to classroom.
- Be aware of any sound delay, especially when asking questions to the remote site. Sound delay will be short (1 second) to non-existent depending on the videoconference connection quality.
A Typical Classroom Studio
This picture above is of a classroom at the KAMU building at Texas A&M University-College Station. This classroom has a typical set-up that includes a remote site monitor and a local site monitor, and a camera to capture the image of the presenter. There are two monitors in the front of this room also for local site and remote site student viewing.
A Typical Instructor Desk and Equipment
This is a picture of the desk in the classroom at the KAMU building at Texas A&M University-College Station. This desk includes a computer, with monitor and keyboard, a second V-Tel keyboard (black), V-Tel keypad, a microphone for the V-Tel videoconferencing system, a document projector (ELMO), and a telephone.