Table of Contents
ePresence Interactive Media 4.0 Production Guide
For information on producing web conferences, please refer to our Web conferencing guide.
ePresence Interactive Media Production Overview
Welcome to ePresence Interactive Media, the multimedia archiving, web-conferencing, on-demand and live webcasting solution.
ePresence Interactive Media provides you with all the tools you need for live and on-demand webcasting, web-conferencing, and publishing interactive, searchable multimedia archives to the Web, or CD/DVD.
Applications:
ePresence Interactive Media is based on two primary applications:
- ePresence Server: A web application that provides the web-based user interface for watching multimedia archives.
- ePresence Producer: An application for capturing, editing, and publishing multimedia archives. ePresence Producer includes encoders for Real Media and Windows Media formats, which act as the real-time streaming components required for live webcasting. ePresence encoders are different from similar applications offered by Real Network and Microsoft, because they stream slide presentations synchronized with the video and audio to the web audience.
Additional applications include:
- ePresence Presenter: An all-in-one presentation application that provides tools for webcasting PowerPoint? slides, software demonstrations, website content, and screen captures.
Archives:
ePresence archives consist of three components:
- Media file: The media file is typically an MPEG-4-encoded AVI audio/video file that is created on the ePresence Media Station during the recording session.
- Presentation Slides: Slides can be converted from PowerPoint? format in advanced or submitted by the speaker during the presentation with ePresence Presenter.
- Event stream data: Event stream data includes slides and chapter titles that are submitted by the ePresence operator during a presentation, or received from ePresence Presenter, or other remote control software.
The process of creating an ePresence archive involves capturing the components, making any necessary edits, and exporting the components into the four supported media formats: Real Media, Windows Media, Quick Time/MPEG-4, and mp3 audio (Podcasting).
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for producing live and on-demand webcasts
1 Production Hardware Setup
1.2 ePresence Production Cart
A typical ePresence production carts setup consists of one ePresence Media Station PC with Osprey video card, a monitor, an audio interface device (e.g. the Edirol EA-25), microphone(s), and a video camera.
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| ePresence Media Station 100 | ePresence Media Station 200 |
2 Producing an On-demand Webcast
On-demand webcasts consists of media delivered over the internet that is available when the user wants to view it, rather than when the provider wants to broadcast it. On-demand webcasts allow you to make recordings of important events and presentations available to online audiences. To produce an on-demand webcast with ePresence follow these easy steps:
- Launch ePresence Producer. The New Session Wizard opens.
- Select Stream, Record, and publish a new ePresence archive. Click Next.
- Click the New Event button. Enter a title, presenter's name, and date into the appropriate fields. Select the Default template from the Template combo box.
- Select the method that you or the speaker will use to control the slides in the Slide Control radio box. Click Next. Slides controlled manually by ePresence Producer, the Web interface, or PDA software require Power Point presentation slides uploaded in advanced.If you choose to control the presentation slides using ePresence Presenter, the speaker can submit slides during the presentation.
- If you selected a slide control method that requires slides uploaded in advanced the Slide Upload Control window opens. In the Source Power Point presentation box, click the Browse button, and select your PowerPoint? file from its location on your hard drive. Select your event from the Target ePresence Event combo box. Click the Convert button. Wait for the conversion process to complete. Click Next. The ePresence Capture dialog box opens.
- In the Capture dialog box, click the Start Recording button once your event begins.
- If you are responsible for controlling the slides, watch the speaker, and click on the slide frame to advance the slides as the speaker changes them. If the speaker skips slides or returns to previously displayed slides, you can locate the correct slide by clicking the right and left arrows on the Slide Control Panel. Click the central thumbnail on the Slide Control Panel to confirm the selected slide is correct.
- When your event is complete click the Stop Recording button
- Click the Exit button
- ePresence Producer automatically asks you if you want to publish your new archive. Click the Yes button. The Exporter Wizard opens
- Select Web Archive. Click Next
- Select the folder you want your archive to be stored in on your ePresence Server. Ensure the title and presenter's name are correct. Click Next.
13 ePresence Producer automatically chooses the appropriate template for your archive by default. Click the Finish button. ePresence producer will now encode all supported media formats, and publish your archive automatically. Wait for the encoding process to complete. Once the process is complete, ePresence Producer will automatically open your browser and navigate to your published archive.
2.1 Testing your On-demand Webcast
Once you have completed the publishing process for your on-demand webcast test your online archive by doing the following:
- Launch your Internet browser
- Enter your ePresence Server URL.
- Click the Archives tab.
- Locate your new archive on the archive page.
- Ensure the archive title and presenter’s name is displayed properly. Click on each of the player icons in the Watch column to test each media format. <br> The Archive User Interface opens.
- Test the various player functions. Navigate through the archive with the interactive Table of Contents, and Timeline applet. Click Share It to post your archive to a website or blog. Click Tag It to assign a Tag (metadata) to the archive. Search for keywords in your archive by entering a keyword and clicking the Search button. A purple marker will appear on the Timeline, indicating every instance your keyword was found.
3. Publishing Multimedia Archives to CD/DVD
- Click Export → Publish this archive.
- Select CD/DVD archive. Click Next
- In the Target dialog box click the Browse button, and select any empty temporary directory or create a new one. Enter the title of your Archive and the Presenter’s name into the Archive Title and Presenter(s) fields. Click Next.
- In the Template dialog box, ePresence Producer will automatically select a CD/DVD template.<br> Click the Finish button.
- Open the temporary directory you specified in the step 3, and burn its content to a CD or DVD.
Your multimedia CD/DVD will play on Windows XP or Windows Vista with Windows Media Player 9, and any MS .NET Framework installed.
4. Producing a Live Webcast
ePresence Interactive Media allows you to webcast live in Real Media and Windows Media Formats.
4.1 Live Audio/Video? Setup
4.1.2 Audio Sources
You can webcast a live event with only one fixed, wired microphone. However, using multiple wireless microphones provides your speaker with greater mobility, and makes it easier to manage questions from large audiences.If you use multiple microphones; an audio mixer, and an A/V operator is required to control the audio levels, and mix the audio signals into a single source.
4.1.3 Video Sources
Webcasting a live event only requires one video camera, but using multiple cameras can make your event more interesting. For example, with multiple cameras you can switch between two angles of the speaker, or use one camera to shoot the speaker, and another to shoot audience members during question and answer periods. If you use multiple cameras, a video splitter, and an A/V operator is required to mix the video signals together into a single video source.
4.2 Live Production Roles
Depending on the size and complexity of your event, the number of individuals required for producing a live webcast can range from as little as two people (the speaker, and a camera/ePresence system operator) to a team of people responsible for various roles.
See the table below for a detailed description of each role:
| Role | Description |
| ePresence Operator | Responsible for controlling ePresence Producer. |
| Camera Operator | Captures the event with a video camera. |
| Local Speaker | Gives the presentation at the event venue. |
| Web Audience | Watches the event live over the Internet via a web browser, or the ePresence Player application. |
| Local Audience | Watches the event in person. |
| Audio/Video? Operator (optional) | Responsible for taking the audio and video feeds from multiple cameras and microphones, and converting them into a single feed that is webcast to the web audience. |
| Moderator (optional) | Responsible for moderating questions and messages from the web audience. |
| Remote Speaker (optional) | Gives a presentation from a remote location via phone or video-conferencing device. A remote speaker with internet access can control Power Point slides via a web browser, or with ePresence Presenter. The web audience watches the synchronized slide presentation via the ePresence live webcast. The local audience watches the slide presentation in real-time with ePresence Presenter and a LCD projector. |
4.3 Configuring ePresence Producer for Live Webcasting
- Launch ePresence Producer
- Click Tools →Options The Setup dialog box opens
- In the Setup dialog box click the ePresence Live''' tab
- In the streaming profiles window select Profile#1 WM from the Windows Media Profile combo box, and Profile#1 RM from the Real Media Profile combo box.
- In the Live Encoder Remote Control window click the Enabled check box.
- Click the OK button
- Click the Capture icon. The Capture dialog opens
- In the Capture dialog click the Start Recording to start capturing.
- Click the Start Live button to begin live encoding. When you click the Start Live button your webcast automatically becomes available for login on your ePresence Server. It becomes unavailable once you click the Stop Live button
- To test your live stream open your web browser and navigate to your ePresence Server.
- Click on the Live events tab.
- Enter your username and password, and select one of the supported players. Ensure the live user interface is rendered in the browser. If the test was successful your Media Station is ready for live webcasting!
- Click the Stop Live button.
- Click the Exit button
4.4 Capturing a Live Event
- Launch ePresence Producer. The New Session Wizard opens.
- Select Stream, Record, and publish a new ePresence archive. Click Next.
- Click the New Event button. Enter a title, Presenter name, and date into the appropriate fields. Select the Default template from the Template combo box.
- Select the method that you or the speaker will use to control the slides in the Slide Control menu. Click Next. Slides controlled manually by ePresence Producer, the Web interface, or PDA software require Power Point presentation slides uploaded in advanced. If you choose to control the presentation slides using ePresence Presenter, the speaker can submit slides during the presentation.
- If you selected a slide control method that requires slides uploaded in advanced the Slide Upload Control window opens. In the Source PowerPoint? presentation box, click the Browse button, and select your PowerPoint? file from its location on your hard drive Select your event from the Target ePresence Event combo box. Click the Convert button. Wait for the conversion process to complete. Click Next. The ePresence Capture dialog box opens.
- Turn on your microphone and camera.
- In the Capture dialog box click the Start Live button 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the event you are webcasting. A command is sent to the ePresence Encoder applications to start the live webcast. When you click the Start Live button your webcast automatically becomes available for login on your ePresence Server. It becomes unavailable once you click the Stop Live button
- Click the Start Recording button once your event begins.
- When your event is complete. Click the Stop Recording button.
10.Click the Stop Live button to stop the Live Encoders. The remote audience is receiving the webcast with a slight delay, so you must wait 10-20 seconds before you click the Stop Live button to allow them to watch the last seconds of the webcast.
- Click the Exit button.
Default Template for Live Webcasts
