Huddle Event Setup

In this document we will be discussing how to set up an event using Huddle as well as going over the many features of Huddle.

What You Need.

For a standard webcast with audio and slides each presenter will need the following:

• A computer
• A microphone
• Slide deck converted to pdf (via openoffice export to pdf option)

A client attending will only need a computer with the Flash plugin installed.

Testing Your Setup.

Before beginning an event each presenter will want to verify that they can connect to the streaming service and that the bandwidth they have will accommodate for streaming to the service.

There are two tests that each presenter should run. These tests can both be found on the test page.

A successful message on the first test lets you know that the connection will succeed. The second test checks the connection bandwidth to and from the server for the person running the test. It will output a message letting you know if your bandwidth is sufficient.

These tests are very important to run from the location where you are doing the webcast as well as using the same machine that will be running the event.

Uploading Presentations.

Presentations can be used in Huddle as static slide presentations. This means there are no animations. All popular document types are supported as well as opensource document types.

When uploading a presentation you have the option to specify it as one of two types. These two types are public or private. When an upload is marked as private this means that only the person who uploaded the file can use it in a presentation. The public option means anyone in the same group can use it.

There are three locations for uploading a slide deck.

• Uploading During Event Creation:
  During the creation of an event the form contains a field to select a default presentation to use when the event is loaded. Directly under that selection box there is a link that will load the upload presentation dialog.
• File Manager Tab:
  The fourth tab along the top of the Huddle dashboard is the "My Files" tab. This tab contains all of the presentations that have been uploaded by the user logged in as well as any public presentation files that have been uploaded.
• In Admin Presentation Uploading:
  In the admin interface when the "Presentation" pod is loaded, the option menu at the top right corner of this pod contains a link to open the "upload presentation" dialog. Once uploaded the presentation is immediately available for usage.

Broadcasting Audio and Video.

In Huddle there is the capability to stream audio and video to clients. As with all streaming applications the client audience must be considered when deciding whether to use audio and video as well as the quality of each to use.

• Audio:
  Audio settings for Huddle events is handled through the Audio Settings window launched from the microphone button in the center bar. In this popup there are options to select the microphone input device, a meter showing the volume, a bar reacting to detected sound, selection radio buttons for audio rate, and a button to start or stop streaming audio. Once the audio has been started a volume bar will appear in the center bar to communicate the audio response at all times.
  • Audio Source:
    This drop down box is used to select which device to capture audio from. Depending on your computer configuration you may only have one device that shows up. If this is the case then it is your sound card. On Linux it doesn't matter which selection you use seeing as they all pull audio from the microphone jack.
  • Level Bar:
    The level bar shows if any audio is being recognized by Huddle. If when an audio source is selected this bar will fill with color depending on the level of audio received.
  • Volume Slider:
    This bar directly affects the level at which Flash captures and streams tha audio. By default it will auto adjust.
  • Mute:
    Clicking this box will mute any sound that is being captured. Needless to say this also mutes any audio that was being streamed to clients.
  • Auto Volume:
    If this box is checked then the volume slider will auto adjust itself to stay at a level that will be loud enough for clients to hear what is going on but not allow it to spike (The sound gets too loud and gets distorted).

Each event can have multiple presenters broadcast audio. However only one admin can broadcast audio at a given time. This audio start/stop button allows each admin to take turns at broadcasting thier audio.

• Video:
  Video in Huddle is handled through a pod interface. For this reason any configurations for video are handled through the options menu of the video pod. The options menu contains a dropdown box to select the video capture device, a preview of the selected device, the capture dementions for the stream, a frames per seconds setting bar, a quality settings bar, and a start/stop video button. Just like audio only one admin can stream video at a given time.

In the event that presenters don't have a microphone or access to Huddle then a conference call can be used to allow for conversations to be streamed over Huddle. This requires not only a conference call to be setup outside of Huddle but also that one of the presenters has a Telephone Logger Patch (TLP) which is essentially a way to capture the audio from the phone and transfer it to a computer through the microphone jack. This lets Huddle use this audio feed to then broadcast it to all attached clients.

Event Stages.

Each event has different stages that it enters and leaves. These stages are important to understand so that each event is recorded or not recorded properly.

• Pre-event:
  Before an event starts it is in a pre-streaming state. This state means that the presenters may log in and see the interface and adjust things as they see fit. They can also chat with one another via chat with no problems. This is also a good time to check audio and video settings. When a client loads the event in this state, the client will see the pre-event message and will be put in a queue, waiting for the event to begin.
• Event Started:
  When an admin sees fit the event may be started by clicking on the "Start Event" button. This button will then change to display "Stop Event" which is then used to terminate the event. In this started state, it means that all the clients get logged into the tool and they will then see the interface, as well as any public chats that take place from that time forward. They can see the slides if any were loaded as well. If audio was started they will hear that and if any video is being streamed they will see that as well.
• Event Recording:
  After the stream has been started, if the admin wishes to record the event, they must click the "Start Recording" button to then start recording any actions that will take place from that time forward. This includes audio, video, chat, slide movement, pod movement, etc. This state cannot be stopped once started. So make sure everything is ready to go before pushing this button.
• Event Stop:
  At the conclusion of an event a presenter need only click on the "Stop Event" button and all the participants and presenters will be disconnected from the event. If the event was recorded, then at this point the event will be ready for replay. There is no concept of stopping and then starting an event.

Guest Presenters.

To use this feature of Huddle your guest presenters must have previously been designated as a guest presenter for your account. This is done in the account management tab. When creating an event this guest presenter can be selected as one who can assist in administering an event. The guest presenter will have all the abilities as the full presenter within that event. They can publish audio and video as well as select configurable options in each pod.

Misc and Best Practices.

• Mute applications that have sound or turn them off.
• Facilitators should try to make the presenter feel comfortable and relaxed during the recording session. Give them an opportunity to practice briefly while testing audio, offer presenter some water, tell them they will do great. It helps!
• Facilitators should have a written script for introductions, explaining any webinar logistics to the audience, Q&A process, pointing audience to additional resources, and closing remarks.
• Presenters should be as comfortable with the material as possible prior to recording! The more comfortable and familiar they are with the material, the smoother their presentation will sound. If they do not feel completely comfortable with the material, a script may help.
• Post a sign on the door of the recording room to discourage interruptions during live recordings.
• Length: You may start to lose participant's attention after 1 hour. Generally, It is best to try and keep content to 40 minutes, allowing 20 minutes for Q&A. Keep the presentation length to what you said.