Media Services
Instructional Technology provides media production and streaming services at no cost to faculty teaching academic courses and for fee for faculty/staff who are using the service for training or community based education initiatives. We offer video sessions, creation of synchronized and unsynchronized video presentations, audio conversion and streaming and DVD/CD creation and conversions. To request media production services please click on the link to the request form below. To find out more about ITIT's media services please select an option from the menu below.
Media Production Request Form - Click here to make a request for media production services.
What is Streaming Media?
Streaming media and blended learning is a mixture or combination of instructional technology with actual job tasks in order to create a harmonious effect of learning and working via the internet.
Streaming media technology enables the real time or on demand distribution of audio, video and multimedia on the Internet. Streaming media is the simultaneous transfer of digital media (video, voice and data/slides) so that it is received as a continuous real-time stream. Streamed data is transmitted by a server application and received and displayed in real-time by client applications. These applications can start displaying video or playing back audio as soon as enough data has been received and stored in the receiving station's buffer. A streamed file is simultaneously downloaded and viewed, but leaves behind no physical file on the viewer's machine.
The point is that blended learning and streaming media means different things to different people, which illustrates its widely untapped potential; so therefore, blended learning is a great way to initiate an organization into learning because it benefits learners, the training staff, and the organization's bottom line. It allows organizations to gradually move learners from traditional classrooms in small steps, making change easier to accept with streaming media. Working in a blended environment enables instructors to help their students to develop the skills needed for blended learning in small increments. Training professionals can move small sections online as the needed learning skills are developed.
Blended learning and streaming media allows organizations to supplement or compliment existing courseware rather than replace it.
Streaming Media Products
Streaming Media products can be grouped into one of four types.
Audio Presentation - An audio presentation has only an audio component. (EX: Streaming web radio station)
Video Presentation - A video presentation has only a video component. (EX: Streaming a video of an activity or process to present an example in support of a lecture or online training situation.)
Unsynchronized Presentation - An unsynchronized presentation has two or more media components (ie: Audio, Video) that have been captured and transmitted as a single stream. Since all elements are in a single file there is little or no control over the individual components. The resulting file is usually quite large resulting in transmission problems.
Synchronized Presentation - A synchronized presentation has two or more media components (ie: Audio, Video, Data/Slides) that are transmitted simultaneously. These components are linked/synchronized by adding synchronization points or timing points. If for some reason the media components are received out of sequence, the streaming software maintains or restores the presentation synchronization by simply matching the timing points. Since all elements are in separate files they can be transmitted as individual streams there is much more control over the individual components. The resulting file is usually much smaller thereby reducing transmission bandwidth requirements.
Streaming Media - System Requirements
The following is a list of minimal computer system requirements for students interested in viewing Streaming Video at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- Computer (700 MHz processor or faster) with monitor
- Operating Systems
- Windows XP or Vista
- Mac OS 10.4 or higher
- Linux workstations
- 256 MB RAM (Memory)
- 56K Modem or better
- Internet Service Provider (BellSouth, Charter, etc...)
- Internet Browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox)
- RealOne Player
RealPlayer Minimum System Requirements (Windows)
- 700 MHz processor or equivalent
- 256 MB of RAM
- 60 MB available disk space
- 16-bit sound card and speakers
- Super VGA (800 x 600, 65k color) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
- Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or later, Vista
RealPlayer Minimum System Requirements (Mac)
- Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher (OS X 10.5 compatible)
- Requires 256Mb RAM (512 Recommended)
- Requires PowerPC G3 (or later) or Intel processor
(Optimized for both PowerPC and Intel)
- Requires Internet Connection
RealPlayer Recommended System Requirements
- 1 GHz processor or greater (supports simultaneous record/playback features)
- 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB with Vista or later
- High-speed Internet connection (audio/video)
- Full Duplex sound card and speakers
- CD and DVD writer (for CD and DVD writing features)
- DVD player and DVD playback software (for DVD playback)
- 4+ GB available disk space for writing Media and MP3 DVDs and CDs
- Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
- QuickTime 6.4 or later
- Adobe Flash Player 8 or later
- If using Screen-Reader software: JAWS (v4.02 or greater recommended) or Window-Eyes (v4.21 or greater)
Don't meet the Minimum System Requirements? Click here for a previous player version
Windows RealPlayer Minimum/Recommended Requirements obtained from RealPlayer for Windows.
Mac RealPlayer Minimum/Recommended Requirements obtained from RealPlayer for Mac.
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