Finnish University Goes to Head of the Class with ZeeVee
Aalto University, Finland’s highly regarded multidisciplinary technology, business and art/design school, is deep into phase three of a major AV system upgrade designed to enhance the learning and work environments for all buildings on its Otaniemi campus located near Helsinki, the nation’s capital.
The project is spearheaded by Lasse West, Aalto University’s AV infrastructure solution specialist, and the university’s IT Services team, which provided all the networking infrastructure and in-house design. To round out the team, West called on distributor Dustin Finland Oy to provide hardware and project management support, as well as AV integrator Electro Waves Oy for system design support.
System planning was also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the project team to redefine the technical specs and primary use cases to support a hybrid approach for both onsite and remote learning scenarios. This was important in reducing the boundaries between face-to-face and remote participants and helping instructors to focus on teaching instead of technology.
Challenge:
The key goals for phase three were to continue to transform all media platforms and connectivity to an IP-based solution so that there would be more flexible routing options for audio and video between rooms and to enable the creation of overflow rooms on the fly, for example. From the beginning, school administrators were very interested in finding an easier way for instructors and students to simultaneously present 4K AV content from multiple sources, including both in-room components and personal devices. At the same time, it was deemed crucial that the new system
“Our AV system upgrade plan began under a ‘New Learning Spaces’ concept, which added system capabilities and sophistication enabling instructors and students to work with a high level of interactivity that invigorated the learning experience,” said West. “It was also key to have the flexibility to support a wider array of instruction in each lecture hall and classroom.”
Solution:
Aalto selected ZeeVee’s SDVoE AVoIP signal distribution system, which makes it possible to distribute and switch uncompressed 720p, 1080p HD, Ultra HD and 4K resolution content with near zero latency, as well as audio and control, via off-the-shelf 10Gb Ethernet switches.
Making the SDVoE solution particularly attractive was that it offered the highest quality video and built-in capability to expand the system in the future with components that fit its budget and needs from an extensive ecosystem of SDVoE gear from dozens of manufacturers.
The current and final project phase features a technology neutral, standardized interface that enables the AV systems in each room to be reconfigured at the touch of a button to accommodate any number of seating, display and presentation set-ups. It features more than 300 AVoIP endpoints including Panasonic projectors, Samsung LCD displays, LED screens, Fohhn and Nexo speaker cabinets and Fohhn subwoofers. Instructors and students can use any connection point to link their laptops, media players and other devices to presentations staged anywhere within the rooms.
The system is driven by ZeeVee ZyPer4K encoders and decoders and Juniper network switches, operated via the ZeeVee ZyPer Management Platform – a comprehensive and easy-to-use video distribution control system. Instructors and students operate the system, without advanced training, via a customized Snowflake UI touch panel.
West and his team are very happy with their ZyPer4K-driven AVoIP system and plans to expand it further across the campus over the coming years.
Going forward, we are very confident that the ZyPer4K-driven SDVoE signal distribution solution we selected will enable us to efficiently and cost-effectively expand the program on budget and on schedule."
Lasse West
Key Takeaways:
Aalto University’s ZyPer4K-driven AV system enables instructors and students to:
- Experience presentations with the highest quality video
- Easily connect their devices to collaborate with others on projects
- Enjoy real time interactivity for collaboration over the network
- Quickly switch video and configure the system to any desired viewing scenario
Key System Components
- ZeeVee ZyPer4K encoders and decoders
- Juniper network switches
- Lightware AV switchers
- Panasonic projectors
- Epson projectors
- Finlux/Vestel LCD displays
- Samsung LCD displays
- Kramer VIA wireless presentation and collaboration system
- Sony, Panasonic and Telycam PTZ cameras
- Fohhn speaker cabinet
- Nexo speaker cabinet
- Genelec and Shure speakers
- Extron speakers and DSPs
- Fohhn subwoofers
- Shure DSPs and microphones
- Sennheiser microphones
- CueSystems touch panels and controllers
- Snowflake UI touch panel
- ZeeVee ZyPer Management Platform
- Various installation accessories from manufacturers including Chief, Wave, Extron, Kondator, Caymon, ProCAB and Vivolink.