| Room Reservation | | | Setup and Support | | | Preparation | | | Running a Videoconference |
Starting Your Videoconference
Before you begin:
- Turn off all cell phones and other PDAs.
- Open the session a few minutes early and use a Welcome slide.
- Shut down any unnecessary programs on your computer before starting your session.
Room based videoconferencing systems remain in standby mode whenever not in use. Pick up the remote control or press any key on the remote control to wake up the system. Additionally, any incoming call will wake up the system.
The system will show the welcome screen.
To help you immediately realize the present status of important actions, states, and events taking place, a number of icons will appear on the screen, whenever applicable. This is called the main menu.
A highlight outlines the icon currently selected in the main menu. Depending on the system model you are using, you can use the arrow keys on the remote control to navigate between icons in the main menu, or you can use function keys on the remote control to display submenus for the menus you see on the main menu.
Room-based Videoconferencing Remote Controls
There are four models of remote controls for the room videoconferencing units. They fall into the two basic types shown in the graphic to the right.
To handle the video part of the call, you use the upper part of the remote control. The lower part of the remote control resembles the keypad of a mobile phone.
Controls on the remote allow you to:
- Turn your microphone on and off
- Adjust the volume
- Zoom the camera in
- Toggle between different display layouts
- Display your outgoing video
- Switch to a predefined presentation source
In each room you should find a tip sheet that outlines the remote control for the setup in that room.
If you need a new or additional copy of the remote control tip sheet, you can download it using one of the links below.
• Tandberg 880 Remote Control
• Tandberg C Series Remote Control
• Tandberg Classic and Set-Top Remote Control
• Tandberg MXP Series Remote Control
To place a call:
1. Press the Call key or select the Call icon of
the main menu, and press the OK key.
The Call menu is then displayed.
2. Enter the number using the remote control.
3. Once you have finished entering the number,
press the green Call key on the remote control
or navigate down to the green Call icon and press
the OK key.
In addition to the main menu, the system may display other icons for your information.
Participants
Joining- When calling another room equipped for videoconferencing, the system in the far end room will "wake up" when called and you should be able to see and hear the people in the room.
- When calling an individual who is using a desktop videoconferencing setup, the individual must answer the call for the connection to be established. Once they've done so, you'll be able to see and hear that participant.
Best Practices for Participant Interaction
Technical Tips
- Use introductions to test everyone's video and audio.
- Adjust microphone settings to avoid raising your voice.
- Have one person control the settings for shared devices.
- Mute microphones to minimize unnecessary noise.
Administrative Tips
- Establish ground rules for participation.
- Wait for the others to finish before replying.
- Talk slowly and look directly into the camera.
- Pause after comments to allow people to un-mute themselves.
- Couch questions to draw the fewest responses.
- In large meetings, have everyone say their name when speaking… "John here…"
- Nod your head to indicate agreement instead of speaking.
- Everyone should announce actions such as leaving the room, or when someone is in a room but off camera.
Presenting
Sharing Presentations or ApplicationsRoom Videoconferencing allows you to connect your computer to the system so that you can share a presentation or application with the meeting participants. Be aware that the best resolution available for this is 800 x 600, which may not be optimal for large presentations or complex screen images. If your meeting needs include sharing a large presentation or sharing applications for a significant amount of time, consider using Tufts Web Videoconferencing services, with Adobe Connect. For comprehensive information on how to use Adobe Connect, click here.
To connect your computer to the system:
- Ensure your computer is turned off.
- Connect a VGA-VGA cable from your PC (VGA Output) to ‘VGA In’ on your system. (NOTE: These cables are already in place in the conference room equipped for videoconferencing.)
- Start your PC.
- Press PC on your remote control. Your desktop will display on the main videoconference screen, along with an icon indicating that you have a dual stream occuring.
- Press SELFVIEW until the indicator ‘Selfview‘ is displayed on your main monitor.
Ending Your Videoconference
Leave the session open as needed after the conclusion to ensure everyone has signed off.
Some participants may need to talk to one another or may want to speak with you, once the conference has ended. Unlike telephone conference calls, closing your video conference does not end the session for all participants.
To end the conference session and disconnect:
- Press the Disconnect button on the remote control to end the call.
- Turn the monitor in the room off, if your videoconference ends at the end of the day.