Media Services now recording video in HD

When Media Services Technicians Mike Bednarz and Dave Neal shoot video of Dance, Theater, and College events, they’re now using high definition (HD) video cameras. The change in format allows Media Services to create better quality video that will keep up with changes in expectations from viewers in the future. Media Services has two Sony mini-DV video cameras that record in HD. High definition television (HDTV) has a resolution of 1080 or 720 lines. In contrast, the resolution of regular digital television is only 486 lines. The additional HD video makes images more vibrant and detailed, with a greater sense … Continue reading Media Services now recording video in HD

New and Updated Equipment and Software in the Faculty Resource Room

Academic Computing has recently updated most of the software and equipment in the Faculty Resource Room. Last year we introduced new Mac Pro workstations for video editing with 30 inch Cinema Displays, dual DVD writing drives and Final Cut Pro Suite, all connected to almost 7 Terabytes of storage via high speed Fibre-channel connections (faster than attached hard drives). This year, we’ve upgraded the video editing software to Final Cut Pro Suite 2, and we’ve upgraded the rest of the equipment in the room. We now have a new 24inch Intel iMac attached to the slide and large (12″x18″) flatbed … Continue reading New and Updated Equipment and Software in the Faculty Resource Room

Classrooms get brighter video projectors

Over the summer, Media Services worked with contractor Total Video Products to install new video projectors in various classrooms around campus. The new Sony projectors are 15% brighter than the model they replace. With brighter projectors, instructors will be better able to project video images on the screen while keeping a greater number of lights on in the classroom as well as having the option of opening more window shades. Swarthmore College now has 70 smart classrooms and seminar rooms around campus. Smart classrooms have audio and video components that can be controlled from a single interactive touch panel in … Continue reading Classrooms get brighter video projectors

How do I transfer a call on my Cisco phone?

I’ve had a new Cisco phone on my desk for over a year but didn’t learn how to transfer a phone call until today. It’s simple: While on the call, press the soft key “Transfer.” (Soft keys are the small buttons that appear at the bottom of the screen.) Next, dial the number to which you would like to transfer the call. Finally, press “Transfer” button again. That’s it; you’re done. For more tips of using Cisco phones and College voice mail, check out the How do I …? page on the new ITS website. Continue reading How do I transfer a call on my Cisco phone?

Wireless Networking Changes

A number of steps to improve security on the campus wireless network have been taken recently. The SSID SwatWireless is now only available to College-related individuals with a Windows domain account at Swarthmore. This includes faculty, staff and students. Logon with your Windows username and password will be required. Before using SwatWireless for the first time, individuals using Windows laptops will need to perform a few steps to install a security certificate available at http://wireless.swarthmore.edu. This only needs to be done once. Macintosh computers will automatically download the certificate. SwatWiress uses much stronger encryption and includes encryption of username and … Continue reading Wireless Networking Changes