VC solution recommendations

[vkode]

I am new to Videoconferencing and I was wondering if anyone here can answer some questions. I am asked to setup VC system for use in a Lab.

There will be a fixed camera pointing to the surgery table.
We also need another camera for the speaker.
We have a projector and an LCD display available.

There will be 3-4 other sites that need to join in the call.
And we would like to archive these sessions to be webcast later on demand.

Our Current network is a T1. We are looking at Polycom VSX 8000. Do you recommend this for our setup? My understanding is VSX 8000 has embedded MCUs. I also understand that for one concurrent IP video call , you need 460Kbps bandwidth. So to support 3-4 sites that need to join in the call, do I need to be able to provide 460X4 just for the Video bandwidth (not including the data)?

our Videoconferencing sessions are not that frequent, maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks at the most.

Do we need gateway/gatekeeper for our setup?
Any alternatives to VSX8000 that you would like to recommend.

Thank you
Kode

[Skylark]

yes you will need to multiply your bandwith with the number of units in the call.
Using Dualstream technology (H.329) video and data will share that bandwith for transfers.

Who gets the bigger share of the bandwith depends on who needs it more.

Btw. VSX8000 has an embedded MCU for up 4 units but you need to pay for an activation key for that MCU to work for more than 5 min.

I dont know about any VC unit that can do a propper Webacting, so you will need a product like Mediasite for that. iPower 9000 can do webcasting but it's very limited.

as for gateway and gate keeper that will depend on your net work connection. Can you access all the other sides direcctly through your network?

[carolyn]

there is a lot more to designing. implementing videoconferencing technology than just throwing up a couple of cameras and a codec. This is especially true in environments like the one you have just given a basic desciption on. I am the videoconferencing technical person for a hospital and our clinics from the northeast to Florida and have established the technology for use by all the depatments, div., etc throughout the enterprise. Since you state you are new to this arena, Iam suggesting the following website to help you understand the basics to the technology. Then you may want to explore other healthcare instutuions to see what they are doing, the policies (hippa, etc), enviromnments...lectures, admin, data sharing, Grand Rounds, to actual telemedicine applications..operating rooms, radiology data share etc. I also strongly suggest you get with you IT or Is department and hopefully with a person familiar with video too...I can tell you that at least in our environment, it has taken me 4 years to get solid groundwork done on establishing this technology with our LAN/WAN and Is department in supporting the bandwidth we need to carry out daily activities (which grew astronomically, tripling the inital base deployment I doid 3 1/2 years ago).

In short, it is important to consider more than just a quick fix to establish the communication..environment, possible uses, dtat , control, procedures, scheduling,

take a look at this link as a guide....."thinking cap"
I can give further info if you need some ...and it all is objective info...I am not a sales rep...just experienced in this type of environment...

http://www.videnet.gatech.edu/cookbook.en/list_page.php?topic=10&url=rel-room.html&level=1&sequence=2&name=Developing%20a%20Productive%20Videoconferenci ng%20Room