Video Conference Room Design, Installation and Maintenance
TNS provides room based (up to 15 people) videoconferencing design services to all Penn State organizations in two functional areas - facilities and systems.
Facilities Design
TNS will work with a customer-supplied architect to specify the layout and design of a physical space to be used with conferencing equipment. TNS will also evaluate an existing space which is being considered for use as a conferencing room. Our evaluation of an existing space will result in either a qualification of the room as "suitable", with a list of necessary modifications, or we will eliminate the room as a viable candidate for a system. TNS will not perform any necessary modifications to a candidate room or maintain any facility systems such as lighting and HVAC. A Videoconference Room Facility Specification Form must be submitted with each design request for a new system. This form provides the TNS design engineer specific information about the physical characteristics of a particular room.
Systems Design
TNS will specify a system which will work appropriately in a qualified room and will also include in the design any desired peripheral equipment from the TNS-approved peripheral equipment list. TNS will also install and maintain the physical system equipment. A Videoconference Room System Specification Form must be submitted with each design request for a new system or for an update to an existing system. All TNS-supported accessories are listed on this form. Any design requests for updates to existing systems will only be completed if the system is currently covered by TNS maintenance. A Videoconference Room Facility Specification Form must also be submitted for each design request for a new system.
Installation
TNS will install equipment into an TNS-designed videoconferencing room. A TNS Videoconferencing Equipment Maintenance Policy for more information on these two options.
A Telecommunications Service Requisition (TSR)
Form is required to initiate this service.
Requirements for Videoconferencing Rooms
The following should provide assistance with the creation of videoconference rooms by providing physical specifications in several key areas:
Videoconference Room
A facility used to accommodate meetings between geographically dispersed locations. It is meant to emulate the traditional conference room model where all individuals sit around a common table and have equal access and view to all participants. The format of the meeting is based on a discussion paradigm, not a formal instructor/student model for ongoing classes, and includes no more than 25 people at each site. Note: Instructional facilities are covered under Interactive Technology Classrooms, which are currently in a developmental phase.
Lighting
The best lighting for videoconferencing is diffuse fluorescent. It is important to minimize shadows and to create an evenly lit environment. To maximize the appearance of skin tones and to minimize shadows, use lights with a color of 3500 Kelvin and ensure illumination of participants' faces are between 500 and 700 lux (vertical). Additionally, do not use low energy fluorescent lights that operate between 30 and 50 kHz. These lights can interfere with the proper functioning of wireless keypads used for system operations.
Ideally, the room should not have any exterior windows. If it does, they need to be covered with room darkening drapery/blinds.
Decor
The best decor is plain and simple. Keep the area within the camera's view uncluttered. Extraneous objects such as mirrors, artwork, plants, and fans cause the video compression algorithms to expend large amounts of processing resulting in less efficiency and reduced video quality. The best wall color is a neutral non-white color, such as light grey, light blue, or beige. Avoid wall treatments with patterns. These also can cause undo strain on the video compression system.
Acoustics
Audio quality, as opposed to video quality, is one of the most important contributing factors to a favorable videoconference experience, therefore good acoustics are paramount. One item of particular concern is reverberation - the effect of sound reflecting off of hard surfaces. One of the best ways to minimize the deleterious effects of reverberation is to coat floors, ceilings, and walls with sound absorbing material. In addition to minimizing reverberation it is also important to isolate the room from external noise sources such as fans and duct work from heating and cooling systems, water pipes, office machines, telephones, and street noise. A Noise Criteria (NC) rating of 35 should be met.
Microphone placement is also an important factor influencing audio quality. The first microphone needs to be installed so that it is at least six feet from the system speakers. The second microphone is placed ten feet from the first. A microphone cannot be farther than seven feet from a speaking participant to ensure maximum audio quality and no more than three microphones can be used in a room.
Room Type/Furniture Layout
The conference table must be "U" or "V" shaped to ensure equal access to the camera for each participant. The table cannot be wider than 12 feet or longer than 24 feet in order to accommodate the requirements of the microphones and audio-tracking cameras. There cannot be more than 25 feet from the lens of the camera to the farthest participant to ensure visibility and correct functioning of audio-tracking systems. The rear wall of the room cannot be more than 40 feet from the lens of the camera. The seating must be laid out so that all participants can be seen in the camera's room view.
