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- Lecture Capture Timeline (2019-2020)
VCU Lecture Capture Transition
The following timeline is designed to help users and departmental stakeholders better understand the transition away from Echo360 as a centrally supported lecture capture option from Academic Technologies. Kaltura (and Cattura Capturecast hardware) will now be supported for all things lecture capture. Please direct any questions or requests for additional clarification/information to consultls@vcu.edu
Moving forward, the available options for Lecture Capture are as follows:
Personal Capture - Kaltura Capture (personal Desktop/Laptop capture)
In-class Capture (Cattura hardware option) - Cattura CaptureCast (fully automated / scheduled capture that records what is being projected in the room, support audio, video, and computer display capture)
Classroom Capture (Software option) - Kaltura Classroom (fully automated / scheduled capture that records what is being presented from the podium PC).
Timeline (click on the dates for more details)
May 31st, 2019 - Kaltura CaptureSpace made unavailable. Personal capture transition to Kaltura Capture.
June 30th, 2019 - EchoSystem Server - Streaming Disabled.
July-November, 2019 - Echo360 appliances removed from 2 centrally-supported MCV classrooms. Continued work on Kaltura Classroom deployment.
December 31st, 2019 - Decommissioning of legacy EchoSystem Server.
January 15th, 2020 - User Interface Upgrade (initiated by the vendor) will automatically apply to all Echo360 Pro appliances.
April 1st, 2020 - End of Software Support (EOSS) for the SafeCapture HD appliances.
May 30th, 2020 - Updated: Please click on the date link for more details. Updated for COVID-19 - Beginning of capture appliance replacement timeframe in central spaces.
June 30th, 2020 - Echo360 will no longer be centrally-supported by Technology Services.
December 31, 2020 - End of Life (EOL) of SafeCapture HD Appliances.
May 31st, 2019
June 30th, 2019
- The legacy lecture capture system (EchoSystem) still hosted at the university computer center will no longer stream video content and the EchoSystem Server will no longer be available to users outside the university firewall.
- The EchoSystem management interface will remain up for internal usage, so migrations of some content to Kaltura can continue until December 31st, 2019. During this time, it will be available to departmental admins for retrieval of video content.
- EchoSystem Server capture links in Blackboard and eCurriculum will cease to work.
- Echo360.org (EchoCloud) links will continue to work.
July-November, 2019
- Kaltura Classroom (automated capture installed on podium PCs) installed in centrally-supported classrooms. Assuming a more user-friendly posture, deploying in a piecemeal fashion for over 150 classrooms.
- Echo360 appliances in the following MCV locations replaced with Kaltura Classroom software:
- Sanger Hall B1-020
- MMRB 1013
December 31st, 2019
- Archival of Echo360 Content still on the EchoSystem will continue as outlined in the Echo360 Data Retention Policy.
- The Echosystem Server will be brought down and the EchoSystem Server database will be backed up. Both the main server and database will be taken offline completely, once Learning Systems is satisfied that everything has been archived to SAN storage.
January 15th, 2020
- Echo360 Pro capture appliances will receive a new user interface upgrade on 1/15/20. If you choose to upgrade your UI before that time, please let Learning Systems know you need to be updated. The UI update will not apply to SCHD units.
April 1st, 2020
- Effective 1 April 2020, Echo360 will no longer provide software updates for the SCHD appliance. This policy applies to enhancements, bug fixes, and security patches. Echo360 will continue to test SCHD appliances with improving versions of the Echo360 cloud platform until the End of Life date. In addition, the Echo360 Support Team will continue to assist customers with configuring and managing SCHD appliances until the End of Life date.
May 30th, 2020 (COVID-19 updates and clarifications)
- Updated 4/24/2020: All Centrally-owned and scheduled classrooms are now running Kaltura Classroom software on podium PCs with the exception of 4 rooms on the MCV Campus receiving Cattura appliances:
- Sanger Hall - Room 1044
- Sanger Hall - Room 2020
- Kontos Medical Sciences Building
- Baruch Auditorium in the Egyptian Building
- Expected timeframe for install will begin in Summer 2020, depending on the return of staff to VCU.
- Will be centrally owned and managed by Academic Technologies for 2 years following install. This includes scheduling and maintenance of Cattura Capturecast Slim capture appliances.
June 30th, 2020
- Echo360 (EchoSystem and Echo360.org) will no longer be centrally supported by Technology Services at VCU.
- Video content that needs to be transferred to Kaltura can be accomplished by downloading the available MP4 (audio and desktop content capture) from Echo360.org.
- Cattura CaptureCast will be the only hardware option available for purchase for lecture capture from Academic Technologies.
December 31, 2020
- Effective 31 December 2020, Echo360 will no longer ensure functionality of the SCHD appliance in any way. Echo360 will no longer test the SCHD on new cloud service releases and the Echo360 Support Team will no longer continue to diagnose or solve issues impacting SCHD units still in the field at that time.