BCNETwork News

December 2007

High-Definition Videoconferencing: Human Interaction at High-Speed

Hot on the heels of developments in the videoconference sector, BCNET issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) this summer to obtain high-definiton videoconference units for BCNET and its members. The RFP evaluation team has moved forward this quarter to test and evaluate two short-listed vendors’ units.

With the support of The University Presidents’ Council (TUPC) and the Provincial CIO’s Office, BCNET’s High-Definition Videoconferencing (HDVC) Project is moving forward with the power of advanced research networks to foster next generation collaborative environments for its members.

The HDVC project team has recently reviewed all submissions to an RFP released earlier this summer and the successful proponent is CONTI Electonics and their LifeSize videoconference units. In mid-October, BCNET members attended a high-definition videoconferencing demo that tested two short listed vendors’ units. The experience of high-definition videoconferencing will soon be a reality for member institutions across the province as BCNET finalizes the RFP process. Requests for HDVC units by member institutions have been made and BCNET hopes to have units in place for early spring of 2008.

BCNET will be also installing HDVC units in BC’s provincial chamber offices to demonstrate the capability of BC’s advanced research networks. The chamber offices are currently being assessed for the installation of HDVC units and a secure private network using the BCNET’s Optical Regional Advanced Network (ORAN).

High-Definition Videconferencing Improving Human Interaction

Crisp video and precise audio output certainly sound like nice improvements over the standard definition videoconference units that most people are familiar with. However, as BCNET stakeholders discovered in a showcase demo this fall, the stunning improvement of high-definition videoconferencing on human interaction over long distances could not have been predicted before the screens lit up.

“A lot of people have used standard-definition videoconferencing before, and it works,” said Mark Zuberbuhler, manager of UBC Telestudios and chair of the RFP evaluation team. “But, because of the degraded image of standard-definition, you can feel distanced from the people on the other end. With the advent of high-definition videoconferencing, you can see people in life size as you would if you were to see them in person, and that creates a more intimate connection.”

The videoconference systems are comprised of high-definition quality video cameras, codec units and screens that require broadband networks to operate. The systems capture movement and gestures without interruption, and visual detail down to the wink of an eye or the wrinkle of a brow. The units can host multi-point calls without the use of an additional Multi-point Control Unit, and have the ability to share PowerPoint and video presentations between callers in a separate display. Above all, the premium models being considered for BCNET are highly user-friendly, meaning that almost anyone can log on and connect with other members from around British Columbia without much training at all.

The easy-to-use, media-rich systems that figuratively bring participants together in the same room facilitate more spontaneous, genuine, and in-depth communication. This will have a very positive impact in the lab and in the classroom. “Part of BCNET’s mandate is to explore new technology and to see how it might be applied to education and research,” said Zuberbuhler. “BCNET’s hope, and their approach, is to create further collaboration between institutions. High-definition videoconferencing is the logical next step in that process.”