SAIT – CALGARY, ALBERTA

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

EDUCATION CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Education Technology

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is a post-secondary institution that was first established in Calgary, Alberta in 1916. It is a polytechnic institute that provides three baccalaureate degrees, three applies degrees, 73 diploma and certificate programs, 37 apprenticeships, and over 1,000 continuing education and training courses through eight different schools. SAIT offers students education in a real-world context, helping them transfer smoothly from a school setting into work.

THE CHALLENGE

As an institute of technology, SAIT requires constant access to the newest, most efficient technology available to properly educate their students. To ensure they have this access, Matrix Video Communications Corp. acts as the preferred vendor for the supply of equipment, labour, installation material, programming, testing, training, and service support for the audiovisual systems throughout their campus. Over the last few years, SAIT has needed a variety of audiovisual and media production installations.

THE SOLUTION

As SAIT’s preferred vendor, Matrix has completed a range of projects in classrooms, labs, and boardrooms. These projects consist of videoconferencing and presentation equipment for communication and collaboration as well as media production equipment for their broadcast and video production courses.

The main components involved in the audiovisual installations include the following: a 1Beyond tracking camera, a Sony SRG-300HW camera, microphones, ceiling speakers, projection screens, a Crestron DMPS3-4K-350-C presentation switcher, two ceiling-mounted projectors, five ceiling-mounted LCD displays, an Extron 12” tabletop touch panel, an Extron DTP Crosspoint presentation switcher, a Planar 3x3 video wall, a Crestron DigitalMedia switcher, a Crestron CP3N processor, Crestron 10” touch panels, and Shure Microflex wireless microphone systems.

These components were split into three different installations. The first was for SAIT’s SMED boardroom. This room consists of the 3x3 video wall, which is used for presentations as well as videoconferencing. For presentation and conferencing audio, we provided Shure Microflex wireless microphone systems with a wireless desktop base transmitter and charging stations. To enable seamless video switching and controls, we installed a Crestron DM switcher, a Crestron CP3N processor, and two Crestron 10” touch panels (one on the table and one on the podium). SAIT provided their own Cisco videoconferencing system for this room.

The second installation was in the MC317 classroom, the first hybrid classroom on SAIT’s campus. As such, it needed to be equipped with the proper equipment to allow students to participate in class without physically attending. To enable distance learning, the room features two cameras: a tracking camera from 1Beyond that tracks the professor or presenter from the back of the room and a Sony student-facing camera, so students can interact with their peers. Microphones and ceiling speakers were also spaced out throughout the room to ensure remote students have access to the entire class conversation. For presentations, there is a large projection screen for in-class students as well as a secondary screen that is streamed to remote students when in hybrid mode. The room is also equipped with a Crestron presentation switcher that controls and switches any presentation material.

The third installation was in one of SAIT’s labs. This lab consists of two ceiling-mounted projectors and wall-mounted projection screens and five ceiling-mounted LCD displays, all of which are used for presentations. To control the system and switch between content, Matrix installed an Extron 12” touch panel and an Extron DTP presentation switcher. 

Meanwhile, the media production equipment implemented includes the following: Sony HXCD70H studio cameras, Avid Isis 64TB of storage, 13 licenses of Avid software, and Avid Airspeed 2-channel video playout server, 200TB of Avid Nexis E4 storage, a NewTek Tricaster VC1 video switcher, a Tricaster mini replay server with NewTek NC1 NDI breakout, a Clearcom wireless intercom, Sony PXWZ150 4K video cameras, and Shure, Sennheiser, and Allen & Heath sound production gear.

The equipment mentioned above was spread across four different projects. The first three were all for a TV broadcast course, and the fourth was for a film & video production course. The first project involved the supply of Sony studio cameras; there was no installation required for this project. For the second project, we supplied and installed 64TB of Avid Isis storage and 13 licenses of Avid software to be used at client-supplied workstations. We also installed an Avid video playout server for quick and easy video editing. In the third project, we built and integrated a Tricaster mobile video production flypack. This was composed of a Tricaster mini replay server with NewTek NC1 NDI breakout for video editing, switching, and streaming as well as a Clearcom wireless intercom for student communication, Sony video cameras, and a range of sound production gear.

Finally, the fourth project involved integrating shared storage into the new film & video lab. We supplied and installed 200TB of Avid Nexis storage, which is also shared to Davinci Resolve workstations and an Avid online suite on the second floor of the same building. This storage was then installed into SAIT’s data closet and integrated into the SAIT network, allowing students to log in and check their content using their SAIT credentials.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

As mentioned above, Matrix is SAIT’s preferred vendor for everything audiovisual related. We have held this role for the past few years, and they are extremely satisfied with the work we have provided.