In January 2009 CARMA, the presentation-capture and internet-distribution service, became a unit of the Digital Media Commons and part of the University Library. Since then, CARMA has undergone a series of program and technical changes to expand its capacity and services, and is pleased to announce the availability of new features and capabilities to all campus units. CARMA is now using software developed by the College of Engineering (CoE) which, along with upgraded hardware, produces higher-quality recordings and several enhancements requested by clients.
CARMA's service now includes the following enhancements:
- Visual aids are recorded as high-resolution video files, so web presentations now show animations, movies and transitions
- Web presentations are available in QuickTime format, as well as a new, higher-resolution Flash version
- Presentations, including the videos of the presenter and the visual aids, can be downloaded to computers, iPods and other devices for off-line viewing (if permitted by the sponsoring unit)
- Presentations can now be restricted to U-M affiliates through Kerberos authentication
- For presentations without visual aids, a large display showing only the presenter can be distributed, with a full-screen mode available
- Archiving is now done in a standard format with non-proprietary encoding
These improvements are possible through the generous support of CAEN, the CoE's Computer Aided Engineering Network, which has been recording lectures in classrooms throughout North Campus for several years.
