Lecture Capture: Mobile Kit

This article goes over setting up a mobile lecture capture kit to record lecture content.

In this article:

  1. Connect Power to the Mobile Lecture Capture Kit
  2. Set Up the Webcam
  3. Launch Lecture Capture Software
  4. Set Up the Stream Deck and Document Camera
  5. Connect the Microphone
  6. Connect External Displays and Devices
  7. Check the Setup
  8. Using the Stream Deck
  9. Record Your Lecture

1. Connect Power to the Mobile Lecture Capture Kit

  1. Place the kit within reach of a power outlet and the room’s projector/monitor cable.
  2. Open the case.
  3. Remove the main power cable.
  4. Connect the power cable to the nearby outlet.

2. Set Up the Webcam

  1. Remove the tripod from the top of the case.
  2. Extend the tripod legs.
  3. Remove the webcam from right-hand side of the case.
  4. Screw it onto the tripod.
  5. Optional: Adjust the height of the tripod
    1. Turn a section of the tripod left to loosen the tripod leg.
    2. Pull the sections apart to lengthen the tripod.
    3. Push the sections together to shorten the tripod.
    4. Turn the section right to tighten the tripod leg.
  6. Adjust the position of the webcam as needed to capture the lecture or whiteboard material.

3. Launch OBS Studio

  1. Open the laptop.
  2. Press the power button.
  3. The laptop will startup automatically launch OBS Studio - the lecture recording software - after a short delay.

4. Set Up the Stream Deck and Document Camera

  1. Remove the document camera from the right-hand side of the case.
  2. Place the document camera on the table.
    • Note: the document camera could be used to capture a whiteboard, however it is recommended to use the webcam instead.
  3. Remove the Stream Deck from the right hand side of the case.
  4. Place the deck next to the kit.

5. Connect the Microphone

  1. Press the power button on the Microphone Receiver box, which is attached to the top of the case.
    Wireless Microphone Receiver
  2. Remove a wireless microphone transmitter from the top section of the case and turn it on by holding the power/mute button until the light is green.

6. Connect External Displays and Devices

  1. Optional: Connect the HDMI cable from the television or projector to the HDMI OUT port on the left-hand side of the kit.
    HDMI output port with an HDMI cable connected to it.
  2. Connect your laptop to the HDMI IN port using the cable provided in the kit.
    HDMI input port with an HDMI cable next to it but not connected.
    • Note: you will need to have a display adapter if your device does not have an HDMI port.

7. Check the Setup

Fully set up mobile kit
  1. Make sure the video inputs are working.
    • Press Webcam Only on the Stream Deck to check the webcam input.
    • Press Document Camera Only on the Stream Deck to check the document camera input.
    • Press HDMI Only on the Stream Deck to check your laptop input.
      • Note: if you connected the kit to a room projector, you should also see your device being displayed there
  2. Verify that the kit is capturing your audio by speaking into the microphone and observing the audio levels in OBS Studio.
    OBS audio mixer

8. Using the Stream Deck

Stream Deck

The Stream Deck has 15 physical buttons arranged in a grid of 3 rows and 5 columns of buttons. The buttons and their functionality will be listed by row then by column left to right.

  • Top row of buttons
    • Leftmost button not in use.
    • HDMI Input Only - shows only your laptop in OBS Studio.
    • Main Camera Only - shows only the main camera in OBS Studio.
    • Doc Camera Only - shows only the document camera in OBS Studio.
    • Rightmost button not in use.
  • Middle row of buttons
    • Main Cam HDMI Side by Side - shows the main camera and your laptop side by side in OBS Studio.
    • Main Cam Large HDMI Small - shows the main camera (larger) and your laptop (smaller) in OBS Studio.
    • All Video Sources - shows your laptop, the main camera, and the document camera in OBS Studio.
    • HDMI Large Camera Small - shows your laptop (larger) and main camera (smaller) in OBS Studio.
    • Main Cam Doc Cam Side by Side - shows the main camera and your laptop side by side in OBS Studio.
  • Bottom row of buttons
    • Launch Zoom - launches zoom for lecture capture. For detailed instructions see Use Zoom for lecture capture.
    • Mic is On/Mic is Off - mutes and un-mutes the microphone audio connection in OBS Studio.
    • Start Record/Stop Record - Press start record to begin recording your lecture. Press stop record to end and save the recording.
    • HDMI Audio is On/HDMI Audio is Off - mutes and un-mutes the laptop audio connection in OBS Studio.
    • Help Menu - Makes the help menu display on the control panel. Options and menu button locations may vary depending on the control panel. Common options include Restart App, Reboot System, and Get Help.

9. Record Your Lecture

  • Record to a video file
    • Important: this will not record Zoom interaction.
    • Press Start Record on the Stream Deck to start recording.
    • Press Stop Record on the Stream Deck to finish and save the recording.
  • Record via Zoom
    • Use this method to record your Zoom session including student participation and chat.