You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”
George Bernard Shaw
One of the questions I have learned to ask clients when meeting with them casually or sending a survey is this: “If you could wave a magic wand and get any technology you want, what would you wish for and why?” Most people have a terrible time with that question because most of us don’t spend much time really thinking beyond what we know and experience every day. It is hard to expand our vision of what “could be.” As we think about our wish lists this time of year, I’m going to attempt to answer that question myself. When it comes to higher ed technology, what would I want with that magic wand?
The first thing on my magical wish list is a universal USB 3.1 interface for professional AV. My dream device would have HDMI input and output, balanced stereo audio input and output, wired gigabit ethernet, multiple USB ports that can support a wide variety of USB devices like webcams, microphones, USB document cameras, flash drives, and more. It would provide up to 100W of power to the connected device for charging (65W would suffice, but I’m dreaming here). It should definitely be platform agnostic and be fully plug-and-play compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Linux (yes, I’m thinking of you, Dr. Hallam). It should simply work every time on every connected device. You may ask, “Isn’t that just a docking station?” Yes, in most ways it is, but universal, professional grade, and made for integration into professional AV/IT solutions. So far, most commercially available docking stations just don’t cut it. By the way, trusted manufacturer partners, I’d buy 215 of these units tomorrow if it met all those requirements! This may actually already exist from Lightware, but I just haven’t had a chance to try it out yet!
Up next on my magical wish list is an advanced machine-learning (ML) automatic production solution. This solution would provide the same production value as typical human-in-the-loop multi-camera video and audio production. This system would use a range of sensing technologies to automatically aim and frame cameras; in fact, it would not only get a near-perfect view of the presenter, but also any audience member who may be interacting. The system would smoothly transition from showing content slides to a camera view as it sensed the presenter expanding deeply into a topic or interacting with the students, only to magically go back to the content slides as the presenter moved forward in their topic. Microphones would be muted and unmuted automatically as the system sensed who was speaking. It would seamlessly adjust audio levels to account for the loud would-be stand-up comic followed by the timid person holding the handheld mic just above their belt. Basically, take all the great features of a well-produced event with live camera operators, video producer, and audio technician and put all that production value into a fully automated system. I believe all the necessary technology already exists to make this a reality, it is simply still cost-prohibitive to develop and build. So, in some sense, my actual wish is that this technology would become financially viable.
The final item on this list of dreamy technological delights is a universally accepted and implemented AV-over-IP standard. This would be a standard co-developed by recognized standards organizations (think IEEE, VESA, ITU/ISO, SMPTE, and/or AES). My dream standard, let’s call it DrAVETES (Dream Audiovisual Encoding and Transmission Ethernet Standard), would be so amazing that every manufacturer would immediately cease development of any proprietary protocols and move all their development to DrAVETES! All major network switch manufacturers quickly provide full support for the standard. PC manufacturers would be enthralled and build new motherboards with a second NIC port designated just for direct DrAVETES I/O. The need for HDMI would evaporate almost overnight as laptops, flat panel displays, and projectors came with DrAVETES ports. Microphones and speakers would become amazing plug-and-play peripherals in a networked AV wonderland. Oh, it would be magical!! Without a doubt, world peace would quickly follow.
Boy oh boy oh boy! I feel like a kid on Christmas morning just thinking about this wishlist! Any one of these things could dramatically improve the quality of the classroom experience in our institutions. Are these likely to come to pass? Oh, I’d like to think all three are possible, and it is the season for dreaming! Let’s see what Santa can bring higher ed AV in 2023!
What about you? If you could wave a magjc wand and get any higher ed AV technology you want, what would you wish for and why? Share with us in comments below or on social media!
