[AG-TECH] Access Grid Hardware/Software Questions

[Nikkos Svoboda]

    The Access Grid site here is currently using a Dell T1500 
workstation (i5 3.2GHz, 4GB RAM), capturing 4 inputs using the 
Osprey-450e, displaying four video outputs from an older PCI Matrox QID 
video card, and simply using the motherboard integrated sound card for 
audio. The computer runs Windows 7 x64 Enterprise .
    In the past, I have also used other Xi-Fi Soundblaster sound cards 
which *mostly* worked. The Creative drivers caused problems, and I had 
better luck using the generic Windows drivers.

-Nikkos Svoboda
LSU Department of Mathematics


On 2/25/2011 8:29 AM, Jonathan Klubek wrote:
> My group at our university was recently tasked by one of our departments to
> construct an access grid facility (this facility will also function for
> other types of conferencing and classroom needs also).  After much reading
> we have determined many pieces we need to get including things such as
> several ClearOne, Crestron and Extron products to control the various audio
> and video pieces ranging from scaling windows on the projectors and
> switching sources to mixing and cancelling echo on the microphones on the
> various tables.   The problem we are running into in examining everything is
> with the access grid machine itself.  We have looked at the technology and
> many of the pieces of hardware are many years old and we are seeing possible
> issues with integration as things such as PCI are replaced with PCI-e.
>
>
>
> We are looking at going with a Dell Precision workstation T7500 to be the
> access grid machine and have thought about adding more memory and a second
> processor to it (remember that it will serve multiple purposes. .  My
> questions are the following:
>
>
>
> 1.        I see that the software is listed for Linux, OS X, and Windows.
> We most likely will be going with Windows so we can support Microsoft Link
> also.  This software is listed for Windows XP but does it work with Windows
> 7 32-bit and 64-bit.  This is extremely important with Windows XP support
> coming to a close.  Also, with the increased resources we plan to use it may
> be necessary to use 64-bit to take advantage of things such as 4+ GB of
> memory.
>
> 2.       As mentioned before the technologies listed are out of date.  We
> are especially seeing this with the video capture cards and audio cards.  I
> was wondering if the following would be supported:
>
> a.       SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic (D)w/Dolby Digital 5.1 (this was the
> card option on the Dell) - if not is there a newer card than the one listed
> that is?  We will of course need to integrate with our other products.
>
> b.      Datapath VisionRGB-E1 PCI-e RGB/DVI capture card
>
> c.       Osprey Osprey-450e PCI-e Analog video capture card
>
>
>
> If not we are looking for several recommendations of much newer technology
> that is supported as we see this to be extremely important.
>
>
>
> Jonathan
>
>