Learning Technologies News

Cable TV and VHS Sunset

TO: SDSU Faculty

FROM: Dr. James P. Frazee, Director

Beginning this year, new technology-rich learning spaces (aka smart classrooms) will no longer include cable TV (CCTV) or a VHS player. This is due to the increasing cost and limited availability of VHS/DVD combo units with integrated cable TV tuners, as well as decreasing demand from faculty.

The first rooms without cable TV or VHS players will be the 12 trailers/modular classrooms that will be used to offset the rooms coming offline due to the Storm and Nasatir Hall renovation, as well as four new smart classrooms (three in Adams Humanities and one in Music).

Existing classrooms will continue to have both cable TV and VHS players until they are updated. Also, we will continue to have VHS as well as DVD and BluRay players in our auditorium spaces such as the Little Theatre for the foreseeable future.

For those VHS titles that you use frequently, we recommend locating a digital alternative (online, or via optical media such as DVD or BluRay). While ITS no longer has a budget for the procurement of media, we can help point you to some freely available resources as well as to the library's media center. Further, while copyright limitations may not always allow us to transfer from VHS to modern formats, we're here to help whenever we can and we'll work with the library's media center to try to get you what you need.

We ask that you consider the accessibility (ADA) of the instructional materials that you use during this transition. For instance, do the VHS resources that you use include closed captioning? Here again, ITS and the library media center are a resource to you.

We will work with you to make sure your needs are being met, and we certainly understand your concern about this change. We will also have VHS players for checkout at ITS and all our new smart classrooms will be capable of supporting an external VHS player.

ITS and TANDBERG: Increasing Engagement and Interaction

TANDBERG, a leading provider of video conferencing solutions, highlights its partnership with ITS and SDSU in a recent customer profile:

With three strategic priorities—to meet faculty needs, maximize efficiency and maintain a high-quality technical infrastructure -- ITS implemented video conferencing technology at San Diego State more than 10 years ago. Today, as the state faces a budget situation that necessitates travel restrictions, SDSU is even more invested in the use of video.

As Dr. James Frazee, Director of ITS, explains, "We see video conferencing technology as a way to decrease costs, increase convenience and increase instructional function."

Read the full story. (PDF)