Oregon State University Survey of Lecture Capture Hardware, Software, and Platforms

Oregon State University's technology department recently created a great article surveying the best technique for lecture capture which featured some of our favorite hardware encoders!  

One of the most common refrains in any institution’s academic technology department is “What should we use for lecture capture?” The answer to this question, unfortunately, is not at all clear cut, mostly because it’s hard to compare solutions. Features vary wildly from one manufacturer to the next, and implementation of those features can be nuanced (i.e. “Yes, of course my product can do that*” *with considerable development resources and professional services).

-Oregon State University

The encoders listed included the Matrox Monarch Encoders, which are excellent devices designed to function in the lecture capture space. These encoders can stream and record in the highest possible quality easily and efficiently. They support USB, SD Cards, CIFS, FTP, SFTP and Kaltura, which make them great for the classroom or lecture hall. 

A reasonable solution for a large scale deployment, Matrox’s Monarch LCS device is small and so affordable as to be nearly disposable. The Monarch LCS has the ability to record or stream two isolated sources. Mix and match to your liking. Streaming options include both RTSP and RTMP. The ability to do two isolated recordings makes the Monarch LCS Open Capture compatible (a standard supported by Kaltura) and also integrates with a number of scheduling solutions, including Kaltura’s. Large institutions with a robust internal support unit will benefit most from this solution as you might find the Monarch LCS needs a lot of babysitting, which is where Matrox’s true killer app comes in handy: Radar, Matrox’s dashboard software, is available for free and installs on a Windows box, allowing you to monitor and administer your fleet in an at-a-glance interface.

-Oregon State University 

Another great hardware encoder option for lecture capture is the Epiphan Pearl Family.  The Pearl Mini and Pearl 2 also give the ability to stream and record and have a great integration with Kaltura and Panopto.  

Epiphan offers a premium lecture capture solution. Their devices have a clean, intuitive interface and integrate easily into many ecosystems, including Kaltura, through it’s scheduling and Open Capture protocols. The Pearl devices carry a touchscreen for operating the device, but also doubles as a confidence monitor. But the touchscreen makes the Pearl pricier than its competitors.

-Oregon State University 

Check out the full article from Oregon State University to learn more.