Edge Cases for Classroom Capture and the Epiphan Pearl

While Duke’s core strategy for classroom-based lecture recording continues to focus on Dell PCs managed by OIT’s AUDS group, there continue to be use cases where PCs aren’t the best choice, and so we have been continuing our efforts to research new hardware-based lecture capture appliances.

Previous efforts have focused on the Matrox Maevex 6020, which have posed challenges recently as we’ve struggled to synch up with Matrox on a process and timelines for managing security vulnerabilities flagged by our ITSO’s automated system. Additionally, we have seen issues with live streams running concurrently with Panopto capture sessions that remain unresolved.

Fortunately we’ve found an alternative in the Epiphan Pearl, which appears to be solid, and is finding new traction here at Duke and with many other schools. The Duke Divinity School uses a Pearl mini in conjunction with Youtube to stream and record their worship services and events, and Duke Chapel use a Pearl in similar ways. On a larger scale, our peers at UNLV went all-in with a purchase of 200 Pearl Nexuses to replace all their existing classroom recorders. There are four models in the Pearl line-up, and all of them can be integrated into Panopto the same way, and we have found the onboarding process to be straightforward and smooth. You can find a detailed comparison of the different models of the Pearl here: https://www.epiphan.com/compare-pearl-systems/

What are some of the use cases where an Epiphan might be preferable to one of our standard Dell PC’s?

• You need to rack the capture unit in a podium or other location where space is tight
• You need more than the standard 4 inputs (OIT’s standard Dells include a 2-input, SFF option and a 4-input mini tower option)
• You are serving other use cases with this device such as simultaneously streaming content to YouTube or other social channels while also capturing the recording in Panopto
• You need a local monitor on your capture device (i.e., for situations where you need real-time confirmation that the source is being fed into the device and the ability to make adjustments )

Fuqua, which is looking for a 6-input capture solution to accommodate additional camera inputs they are experimenting with in some of their classrooms, recently completed a hands-on demo of the Pearl 2, the 6-input model and the most fully featured of the Pearls. They learned how to navigate the Pearl’s browser interface and liked the LCD monitor. They thought this unit would work for their use cases, but is also evaluating other options such as piggybacking multiple Dell PCs to feed the same recorings, which is a capability Panopto possesses.

If you have use cases for classroom capture that our standard PC configuration may not meet, OIT would love to hear from you to make sure we can assist you in researching and testing appropriate technologies such as the Pearl to meet those needs as they evolve.