Education

HD Visual Communications System

P. 1

Internet usage has greatly accelerated over the past few

years. Today, it's easier to connect with people both

inside national borders and all over the world, and the

range of uses will continue to expand.

Using broadband networks, the HD Visual

Communications System offers a stable connection and

a lifelike presence that both differ greatly from

conventional videoconferencing systems, making it a

unique tool for innovating the field of education.

The HD Visual Communications System invigorates

learning by allowing faraway people to connect and

communicate in real-time as if they were actually in the

same room.

Until now, the learning process in primary schools,

secondary schools, high schools and universities has

consisted of one-way teaching -- from teacher to

student. Even when lessons included discussions and

questions, they were almost totally limited to the

students and teachers themselves, and took place only

within the classroom.

Today, in a world that is connected by the Internet, we

need to bring greater openness to our education. It's

essential that we share, debate and cultivate knowledge

all over the world by experiencing world culture without

being limited to classrooms, regions, communities and

countries. The HD Visual Communications System is

designed precisely for this type of education.

[ High Schools, Universities and Technical Colleges ]

High schools, universities and technical colleges have a

large enrolment, and school buildings and campuses are

often located far from each other or dispersed over a

large area. It takes considerable time for teachers to

move between schools and campuses, so it can be very

difficult to standardise their educational levels.

Weaknesses also appear in teaching specialised subjects

when you are dealing only with the capabilities of a single

school.

The HD Visual Communications System solves problems

like these by greatly expanding the scope and

opportunities for learning and conducting research.

■ Bringing Dispersed Campuses Back Together

Many universities today are engaging in decentralisation.

For example, campuses are divided into specialised

departments, or satellite campuses are established. The

background to this trend is a diversification of

educational needs, and demands from students for more

diverse course selections, enabling them to take classes

outside of their specific field of study.

By using the HD Visual Communications System to

connect school buildings and conduct remote classes,

the closed environments of conventional campuses can

be transformed into organically linked venues that meet

diverse educational needs.

HD Visual Communications System

Education

P. 2

■ Collaboration with Other Schools or

Companies in an Alliance

Many universities have developed alliances with each

other and with business-affiliated schools around the

world. Students can participate in remote classes and

seminars by using the HD Visual Communications

System, and share high-level knowledge over long

distances to attain specialised qualifications.

Joint research can also be conducted with private

companies, enabling intensive, detailed research based

on not only the school's own technical capabilities but

drawing from expertise outside of the school to meet

wide-ranging needs.

■ Research Centre and Seminar Links

By using the HD Visual Communications System to

provide close-knit exchanges between research centres

and seminars conducted on distant campuses, high-level

joint development and joint research projects can be

undertaken without having to physically move from place

to place. Also, by utilising the advantage of constant

Internet connection to link with distant laboratories, joint

research can be conducted naturally, as if everyone were

in the same room.

■ Special Lectures with Distinguished Instructors

The HD Visual Communications System also makes it

possible to hold remote classes with leading instructors,

authors and professors. Instructors who have specialised

skills are often busy travelling and do not have much

time, limiting the opportunities for students to receive

their valuable lectures. However, connection using the

HD Visual Communications System eliminates the need

for travel, making it easier to adjust their schedules.

■ Live Broadcasts for Ceremonies

Schools can be connected with dispersed campuses to

simultaneously conduct school-wide events like

graduation ceremonies. The activities can be shown live

to branch schools and other schools, and even to people

in the students' native countries. Because the images of

graduation and other ceremonies can be distributed

electronically, there are no space restrictions or

unnecessary travel for participants.

HD Visual Communications SystemEducation

P. 3

■ Covering Specialised Areas

-- Like Music, Painting and Dance

Training can now be conducted through activities related

to music, painting and dance by connecting music

schools and art schools with the HD Visual

Communications System. Backed by a stable connection,

high image and sound quality, and minimal delay,

situations that used to require teachers to travel to

distant classrooms can now be carried out regardless of

the location.

[ Primary Schools and Secondary Schools ]

Until now, lessons in classrooms consisted of reading

from textbooks and looking at pictures to learn about

things like the earth's creatures, famous paintings, and

local and world culture.

Classes might visit museums, zoos or other nearby

public facilities as extracurricular activities, where the

students could see and learn about actual paintings,

fossils, and living creatures.

Now, the HD Visual Communications System promises

to greatly expand this traditional kind of education.

■ Exchanges with Other Schools, and Language and

Cultural Exchanges Between Schools from Other

Countries

The encounters that students have with other people

during their school years are one of the greatest

influences on their learning. Until now, many students

have grown up thinking that their school was basically

the whole world. By using the HD Visual

Communications System to connect them with people in

other areas or even other countries, and stimulate their

thinking, a whole new kind of chemical reaction will

occur between them. Classrooms will suddenly expand

and studying will become ever more enjoyable.

Also, learning how other people think is not only a major

plus for the students' psychological development, it helps

them to improve their natural learning skills by teaching

each other about culture and language.

HD Visual Communications SystemEducation

P. 4

■ Cooperation and Study Between Teachers

The HD Visual Communications System also invites

teachers to share their knowledge. Teachers are busy

people. The time that they spend in lesson preparation

often makes it impossible to take study trips. Now, they

can boost their skills by linking up with and studying with

teachers anywhere in the world, without having to travel

at all.

■ Remote Caring for Students

Although therapists are needed in every school, there are

oftentimes just not enough to handle the entire student

body. By using the HD Visual Communications System

and receiving outside therapist support, a high level of

care can be provided for each and every student.

■ Connecting Schools and Public Facilities for

Extracurricular Lessons Without the Need to Travel

Public facilities like zoos, art museums, museums,

astronomical observatories, and aquariums can be

connected to schools with the HD Visual

Communications System to conduct classes with live

images. Question-and-answer sessions with personnel

from these facilities can also make classes more

informative and enjoyable.

Even in ordinary classes, connecting with universities,

music schools and art schools allows students to enjoy

high levels of specialised learning at primary and

secondary schools that simply wouldn't be possible with

a single teacher. By using interactive practice sessions

for subjects like music and art, highly skilled teachers

appearing on-screen can truly make classes come to life.

[ Summary ]

From now on, schools are going to be increasingly

expected to provide a wider scope of educational

opportunities for their students. The policies that many

schools have followed until now do not allow them to

distinguish themselves from other schools, and may

prevent them from keeping pace with modern trends.

There is a real need to use tools like the HD Visual

Communications System to enable active new learning

methods that raise the level of educational quality and

attract potential students.

HD Visual Communications SystemEducation

System Connection Diagram

HDMI Cable

HDMI Cable

HDMI Cable

Microphone Cable

Microphone Cable

HDMI Cable

VGA CableVGA Cable

Boundary Microphone

Boundary Microphone

Full HD Plasma TV Full HD Plasma TV

HD Camcorder 1

HD Camcorder 2

HD Camcorder 1

LAN Cable LAN Cable

Unit Unit

PC PC HD Camcorder 2

P. 5

HD Visual Communications System Features

■ High Image Quality

The HD Visual Communications System incorporates

high image quality technologies that Panasonic

developed and refined for VIERA and DIGA. Its 1080i

Full-HD images enable comfortable visual

communication.

■ High Sound Quality

The original Panasonic echo canceller ensures natural

two-way communication. Special microphones provide

stereo sound with remarkable presence for smooth

communication.

■ Stable Connection

Panasonic's original AV-QoS maintains stable connection

even when a best-effort Internet connection is used.

There will be no more annoying interruptions during

meetings, remote classroom sessions, or joint study

meetings.

■ Easy Operation

The graphic user interface (GUI) and remote control

feature Universal Design for easy operation by anyone.

■ Sub-Camera/PC Screen Display

When a sub-camera is connected, it is possible to zoom

in on an item so that discussions can be held on small

details with people at distant locations. There's no need

to provide a special overhead camera. An ordinary digital

video camera can be connected to the HD Visual

Communications System using an HDMI cable for easy

use whenever needed. The screen of a connected PC can

also be displayed for smooth communication.

■ Superb Expandability

A wide range of products, such as plasma display panels,

projectors, HD camcorders and integrated cameras, can

be connected according to specific needs.

For further information, visit the following website:

http://panasonic.net/psn/products/hdvc/index.html

HD Visual Communications System

Location A Location B

Education

Panasonic System Networks Co., Ltd.